Live from Apple's "Mum is no longer the word" event in London
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Sep 18th 2007 5:01AM
posted Sep 18th 2007 5:01AM
9:17AM BST - We're, ahem, queuing alongside a few dozen other journos outside the Apple Store Regent, iPod touch ads in the window and all. And guess who just turned up...
The iPhone guy! You know, the iPhone project manager dude who gave all the online tutorials. What's his name again? Bob!
9:23 - Strange packages keep entering the store. We wonder what's inside. Click on for continued live coverage!
Steve: "The 3G chipsets are real power hogs. Handset battery life cuts power to 2-3 hours." Yeah yeah, we've heard it before. "Our phone has a talk time of 8 hours and that's really important when you want to use your phone for internet and music. 3G needs to get back up to 5+ hours, something we think well see later next year. ... WiFi is way faster than any 3G network. Energy efficient EDGE with better, faster WiFi. That's why we chose it."
10:19 - Q: 7,000 hotspots in the UK... but are they free?
Matthew: "Cloud is the WiFi provider, and yes, it's free." Steve goes on to again tout the advantages of WiFi. Matthew nodding head vigorously, "It's a lot faster."
10:21 - Q: Is the same deal with Starbucks coming here? [Here being the UK, obviously.]
Steve: "You'll have to ask Starbucks about that. They love the UK." Smiles.
Q: What about iTunes activation?
Steve: "Yes, iTunes will work in the UK like it does in the US, allowing you to select your plan and then activate your phone. Of course, it also allows you to update your phone."
Steve: "That's the iTunes WiFi Music Store, coming this month to the UK."
Matthew: "18 months contract. There is a limit: 1,400 internet pages per day would break the deal as part of fair usage agreement." Wait, what?
Q: What's the revenue sharing from data and device sales between Apple and O2?
Steve: "Unfortunately, we're not going to go into that, but good question!" Laughter. "...Sometimes you get what you pay for."
10:26 - Q: Is unlocking a concern?
Steve: "It's a constant cat and mouse game -- we have the same thing with the iPod with music." Steve looks at Matthew, "Are we the cat or mouse?" 'We have to stay one step ahead of them. It's our job to keep them from breaking in."
Q: To Matthew, what do you have to do to get your network ready for the iPhone?
"We're investing in EDGE. As many people have noticed, hey I have EDGE! By launch we'll be north of 30% and build from there." Only 30% folks. It's important to remember that many parts of Europe doesn't use EDGE, they've often moved on to UMTS (i.e. 3G)!
10:30 - Q: Were you aware that the iPod touch was coming out when you were negotiating the iPhone deal?
Matthew: "One of the great things about working with Apple is they are always moving forward." Yes, and one of the great things about O2 is how it dodges questions.
Steve: "Well, one's a phone, and one's not. The iPod touch is training wheels for the iPhone." Ha! Oh boy, that's rich.
Q: How many [iPhones] do you hope to ship before Christmas?
Matthew: "80% of high end customers from other networks would be willing to switch carriers based on their data." But he won't discuss specific sales numbers.
10:32 - Q: What are your plans for iPhone launch in Europe, and your reaction to upsetting other carriers who feel played-off in terms of not getting this deal?
Steve: "We said we'd be in a few countries in Europe and we still plan to do that. As to the carriers, we took the approach to see who would be the best fit -- it's like going out on a few dates before getting married. So yeah, we have a few upset girlfriends out there." Laughter.
10:35 - Q: Can you be more specific about other European countries? [You know you're talking to Steve "Stonewall" Jobs, right?]
Steve: "We're here to talk about O2 UK, and that's all we're willing to talk about today."
Q: Why not one single European carrier if O2 is such a good fit?
Steve: "We were faced with lots of decisions to make and we think we've made the right decisions. We certainly have with O2."
10:37 - Q: Have you thought about opening the iPhone to 3rd parties?
Steve: "Yes, we've already done that with Web 2.0. We're looking at more intimate apps. But people hold their phones to a higher standard than their PC. The more open you are, the less predictable." Again, same ol' same ol'.
10:37 - Q: £900 for 18 months on up to £1260. Any assurance you won't slash the price by 1/3rd? (Laughter.)
Steve: "I don't think that's going to happen. But this is technology so you never know. We have no plans to change the pricing, but we guarantee it will change in the future just like all technology products. We're working on the next iPhone and the next one after that. That's what our customers expect."
Q: Do you feel a 2 megapixel would be a concern to European customers?
Steve: "No, the camera is great. More megapixels don't make a better camera, the iPhone is actually a great camera especially, with great lighting." Ok, sure, but isn't every camera a great camera if the subject is well lit?
Matthew: "On 1st October we'll be rolling those out for all out customers."
Steve: "It's the future."
And that's that! Steve and Mathew are all finished up here. Stay tuned for additional coverage of the O2 iPhone!
I predict O2 will get the deal in the UK and it will come out in the second half of October!
Also the price will be from £275 - £299 with plans starting from £30/month!
With £300 phones normally being given away for free on £35 per month contracts, it'll be interesting to see how well apple will do charing extra for their handset when you'll be able to get the new LG's and Samsungs for free.
The London store looks classy http://flickr.com/photos/shashvat/1217230772/
Better than that box in New York
i agree, mark. with N95 (and pretty much every other phone) free with a 35 quid/month plan (even the Luna is only 100 quid extra with a 35 quid/month plan), i wonder how apple can justify (IF that's what they're doing) charging people anything more than 50-100 for similar plans...
Hey, the O2's online store is down for 'improvements'
hmmm
Not only are high-end phones free on expensive contracts but now it's not uncommon to get a free DS/PSP/Wii/iPod in the UK because competition is so high. If you pay £75/month you can even get a free PS3!
£299 + 2 years at £30pm = £1,019. No thanks. I'd rather get a new iPod Touch, iMac, Sony PDA etc.
Ohh! The UK Apple Store is... Not down?
ewww, they're still selling the 8gb 2.5g version?
i'm disappointed
The fact is the iPhone came out outdated, it just has a very impressive UI, which is what makes the iPod great. However the cell phone manufacturers are the biggest sharks of all and will soon, probably by xmas, have phones out that are exactly like the iphone, with a very slick UI but with 3G.
Apple is going to learn the hard way that to be competitive in the cell phone market they need to come out with products fast and that the average cell phone user has the attention span of a gold fish, when the new Nokias come out, guess what, many cell phone users will trade in their iPhones for the Nokias and just use their iPods for music.
Or just get the China clones is you live int he UK already: http://www.mp4nation.com/products/index.php?PID=cellphones
Alpha, there might be copycat phones that look superficially like the iPhone, but it will take a bit longer than a few months to rival the user experience of OS X with Multi-Touch - if anyone ever comes close at all.
You sure Appleseed:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/nokias-iphone-no-seriously/
Alpha899 - you think Apple won't come out with a new model? C'mon, they make cellphones now... Just like every other company they will make new models, and likely cheaper.
"For you US Americans, that's about $535." Err remember to remove the
VAT BEFORE you convert to USD, so its actually about $500, not a huge
difference but still.
I predict:
Iphone, £299, If we're lucky it'll be £29 a month with unlimited data, if we're unlucky the prices will start at £35 a month.
£299 is a crazy amount but the rumoured euro price is $399 (sorry don't have a euro key!)so i guess it would fit, and the ipod touch is £275 over here for 16gb.
We shall see eh?
For the Euro key, try Alr GR (right alt key and 4 :P)
Or if you're really a geek, Hold left alt - 0128 , release alt :P
Vodafone has the deal in Europe.
Please let it be vodafone !
What do you think about the deals in the smaller countries (Sweden for example). We don't have the multi-national giants like Vodafone here anymore. If they announce a 3G version tomorrow, one could always hope for a deal with 3...
There won't be just one carrier for the whole of Europe and Vodafone definitely wont have it in the UK. They've already announced their Christmas lineup and it includes 'iphone killers' in the 8GB Nokia N95 and Samsung F700
http://www.vodafone.com/start/media_relations/images/christmas_2007_range.html
It's a coordinated hit on all the gadget bloggers in Europe.
I went into an O2 shop today just for a browse and 99% sure that they were getting the iPhone, then I look over at the managers desk and see a file-a-fax with the picture of the iPhone on it before I had a chance to take a picture one of the shop assistants started talking to me, we had a long chat and then he said...
"as well as all the speculation and evidence we both know of, there is also a meeting for all O2 shops in the UK an hour before the Apple one, I wonder what its about! Seriously O2 are stupid at hiding a secret, nothing compared to AT&T!"
fingers still crossed for a powerbook G5....
Good Luck with that....
My dad says the same thing. Sigh.
iPod 6.1G?
oops
o2 have to be the shittest company in the uk to get the dealm they have a shit coverage and have shit customer service, they will struggle big time to activate all the iPhones that will be bought as anytime you phone them now they always say their systems are down, so cant imagine how they will cope if they suddenly have a few xtra 10, 100 thousand customers.
For this reason alone was why i left the shower of shite that is o2 and am now with vodafone and will be getting an iPhone and unlocking it to vodafone as soon as possible.
Im also glad that o2 are getting shaffted big style with 40% revenue charges with any hope the company will go bust in a matter of months and people will unlock their iPhones to other networks.
Sorry for the rant had to get that off my chest!
Here's hoping for an iPhone in 16gb format, not fussed a
well, apple picked at&t last time around, so it would only go along...
O2 = MNO with largest number of subscribers in UK.
Vodafone = most profitable MNO in UK (due to huge number of business customers)
Orange, T-Mobile, 3 behind them and MVNO's like Virgin even further behind. Could only really be O2 or Vodafone in the end, and it's O2 on the day.
also here's hoping for an iPhone with 16gb! not really fussed as to weather it has 3g or not as i plan to use the wifi more
any chance they will make it available in the UK from tomorrow????
yep, quite a big chance.
Because PAYG is for Kids and people with poor credit ratings?
My hope is that 3 will get a piece of the iPhone pie, but that's very doubtful - especially with all the o2 rumours floating around the interwebs.
say that there is a 16GB 3G iphone... who will wait for it to be unlocked and get one shipped to the USA to use on T-mo or at&t?
lol well I am sort of a kid, 15, but I'm a geek kid who deserves a PAYG iPhone!
Given that the iPhone is $400 which works out to be £200 - having left the US a few days ago - I'm kinda 50/50 on whether I should have bought one. If we end up getting a 16GB iPhone here in the UK - then I dont mind them charging us £300 (if thats what they charge us for it) as the extra £100 will be worth it for the extra 8GB. If they decided to shaft us as they always do when it comes to UK electronics and give us the regular 8GB version for £300 - then as a safety net - I have a friend coming from the US in October who can bring me a US iPhone for £200/$400.
I would point out that PAYG is for people who need a phone but don't want to fork out ridiculous amounts to use it occasionally. I would like to see it as well.
After the $200 price drop fiasco (swiftly rebated), I can't see them offering a 16gb version here leaving US customers with an 8gb only! Updated models will always ship first in the States. Tomorrow will just be announcing the carrier with the same kit as currently Stateside.
Thats probably true but I would like to believe that we are getting a 16GB model, given that T-Mobile poster leak in Germany. The fact that the iPod touch is smaller and has 16GB - its not impossible on the iPhone.
wtf - when is the iphone coming to Canada!
Likely never, at least not legitimately.
From what I heard from someone who works at Rogers, Ted Rogers basically told Steve Jobs to go fuck himself when Apple asked Rogers for a similar scheme that AT&T signed onto. Apple wants, IIRC, 10% of the monthly service revenues and for the carrier to offer an unlimited data plan for a reasonable price (à la $60 AT&T plan) which Rogers doesn't actually have - CAD$210/month for 500MB is the top plan available.
WTF? Ted Rogers is in charge of phones in Canada? Is Dusty Bin in charge of the t'interweb?
There seems to be big opportunity for new GSM providers in Canada. Maybe O2 will expand to the colonies...
I predict Vodafone (3G) takes it global, because my friends there dare not even speak to me about this stuff. Did anyone hear rumors about an ODM making the case-back itouch-able?
This will be useful: http://www.pagereboot.com/?url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/18/live-from-apples-mum-is-no-longer-the-word-event-in-london/
I really hope they don't totally shaft the UK making the 8GB cost £300 ($600) or something like that. I'd go for a 16GB for that price or close to it though.
16GB really is the minimum for me, so fingers crossed that happens before next june!
In the US the 8GB iPhone is the same price as the 16GB Touch, I think it's reasonable to assume that they'll follow a similar pattern here which would make the 8GB iPhone at least £269. If there is a 16GB iPhone I think it will be at least £350
what about orange?
hope - £20 a month, 3g unlimited data, 16GB, Vodafone, next week
reality - £30, EDGE with cap, 8GB, O2, November
Reality; Ready for shipping this weekend, 8G, EDGE, iTunes as on touch...
Oh.... one more thing....
John, Paul, George and Ringo
a new ringtone for the gnu €Phone!
Apple's new theme song -
Money - Beatles:
The best things in life are free
But you can keep them for the birds and bees
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want
You're lovin' gives me a thrill
But you're lovin' don't pay my bills
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want
Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want, wah
Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
Now give me money
That's what I want
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want
Well now give me money
A lot of money
Wow, yeah, I wanna be free
Oh I want money
That's what I want
That's what I want, well
Now give me money
A lot of money
Wow, yeah, you need money
now, give me money
That's what I want, yeah
that's what I want
I predict a lot more than just a new Europe iPhone. It's weird that Steve is speaking inside of a Apple store and not some gigantic auditorium.
Not only is this the flagship European store, it's also the largest Apple store in the world.
I agree Keith.
Why so secretive?
T
the o2 tarrif page is under maintainance
O2's UK shop is down:
http://shop.o2.co.uk/maintenance-consumer.html
Coincidence, I think not...
Hurry up with the damn coverage...there's something good on the telly in 5 minutes.
Koala Brothers on BBC2???
NCIS on TV3 (in NZ).
Don't forget that PAYG is also for criminals and terrorists who don't want to traced, as well as for kids and people with bad credit ... or people who don't make many calls. ;)
The wait is killing. I smell 16GB iPhone.
does anyone else think now that people are willing to spend £300 plus contract for a phone other phone makers will start charging more for their hi spec'd model? ie the n95 8gb version!!
If apple release a 3G Iphone. I will cancel my Ipod Touch and ship one in from the UK to use on here in Australia on three. Surely someone would crack one of these pretty quickly.
Good Idea. Just saw this post, but wont it be a little expensive?
i agree with you i'll be doing the same
It might be a little more expensive, but i think gaining 3G, plus all the other applications, email, editing callendar etc would make it worth the bit extra.
What about Australia? *hopeful*
Tough luck mate. We're categorised under Asia which will only be getting the iPhone next year.
Damn! I need a new phone + i really like the iphone + no iphone for me = bad.
Has nobody noticed the iPod touch posters in the background of some of the photos? At least that confirms we're getting those today!
I'm certain those have been up ever since the iPod Touch was announced.
Christ, I wonder when they are releasing this in Sweden - and if I get this formyself in England in a month or two, will it ONLY work with O2 then? :(
As I said before, there will always be ways to unlock them. I'm sure when they are released over here, Hackers will soon get to work :-p
damn what about canada...
If a bought an iphone from the US could I use it in the UK on 02 without having to unlock it?? Or are the US ones locked to AT&T only??
US ones are locked to AT&T only but you can unlock them quite easily as I will be doing when I receive mine.
No, but why not just unlock it?
Interestingly neither the US or UK apple stores are down yet. If the US one does go down then you can be sure there will be a higher priced iphone as when products are introduced in the US only the UK store stays up.
This is a GREAT blogg, WELL DONE SIR!!!!!!
I thought you were going to start running these things with new news at the top. scrolling down=annoying
if you had a mac and was using safari then when the page loads up it would take you to where you were previously. Its the little touches like that that make apple great!
If you're on a PC then Opera does the same
How easy is it to unlock the phone??
The auditorium doesn't seem revamped to me
Cool! Thanks for the live coverage. Shall stay on this page for awhile.
please be 3G, please...
I predict an anti-trust case against Apple if the carrier deals in the EU are similar to those is the US.
what the crap!! i'm up at 5am state said. waiting on engadget to live blog on the blogger is one of the two. 1) slow as all heck.. 2) got killed by the Hi I;m the PC guy.
live blog damn it! stop being so slow
10 minutes and no updates?
UK Apple Store down.
Bah the Orange shop is still up (cant blame a guy for hoping).
Apple store's down
APPLE STORE UK IS DOWN!
Apple Store UK is down
APPLE STORE IS DOWN!!!
Apple UK Store is down
UK Store is down!
UK iPhones or preorders?