Orange nonchalantly confirms iPhone deal in France

We're still waiting for official word from Apple on this, but it would seem that France Telecom's Orange has sealed the iPhone deal. In the wishy-washiest of public announcements, chief executive Didier Lombard said that the iPhone would be distributed in France "before Christmas, probably in November." It will not be subsidized but no price was given. Having Steve issues are we? Guess you really can't compare apples and oranges.

[Thanks, Thomas G.]

[psxp @ Sep 20th 2007 8:17AM]

hmmm at this rate, no chance in Hell a 3G iPhone in the next 6 months. Maybe one announced in January for later 2008.

[iczer2 @ Sep 20th 2007 8:21AM]

Good lord that is one creepy looking clown-type thing.

Don't look too deeply into the blackness of its eyes....

[omnicloud @ Sep 20th 2007 8:27AM]

It's a mime.

[iczer2 @ Sep 20th 2007 8:42AM]

Alright then, a mime-type thing. Just because it's a mime doesn't mean it isn't any less scary.

It's just silent and creepy. :-)

[TeddyN @ Sep 20th 2007 9:32AM]

I wonder how many professional mimes can afford iPhones?

[nathan @ Sep 20th 2007 2:35PM]

Why would a mime need a phone? They're waiting for the iPod Touch :P

[pierlo @ Sep 20th 2007 8:36AM]

does anybody have a clue about italian carriers?

[Nomi @ Sep 20th 2007 8:39AM]

its a me mario!

[Jamie Kane @ Sep 23rd 2007 2:09PM]

ha ha! ^^ :D

[ekauq @ Sep 20th 2007 8:46AM]

Is that an iPhone in your pants or are you just not happy to see me? :)

[? @ Sep 20th 2007 8:47AM]

HOW IS THE IMAGE AT ALL RELATED TO THE IPHONE OR ORANGE? i MEAN?

[JC @ Sep 20th 2007 8:52AM]

It's a pic of a nonchalant mime. Which is generally attributed to be of French origin. Engadget spends all this time thinking up a funny pic to put up, and you ruin it with your ignorance.

J/K, I think it's a stupid pic too.

[tmbflyer @ Sep 24th 2007 5:42PM]

There is definently an iPhone in his/her pants.

[Argot @ Sep 20th 2007 8:48AM]

Professor: You've killed me! You've killed me!
Leela: Oh my God! What have I done?
Professor: I've just told you. You've killed me!

[Dimplemonkey @ Sep 20th 2007 8:50AM]

Ah the French! So nonchalant, so blasé, so anti-bourgeois, insipid and non-sophisticate. Yawn! "Dees zilly little Americans want to zell z-their phone here...curious creatures, we will let them, no?"

Thanks for putting things in perspective, Merovingian citizens of the Moulin Rouge!

[Tom @ Sep 20th 2007 9:08AM]

haha, so french.

[andrew @ Sep 20th 2007 9:18AM]

Ha. Apples and oranges Good one, Mr. Ricker...

[ghost @ Sep 20th 2007 9:37AM]

mmm, let the iphone eat cakes...

[Diva @ Sep 20th 2007 9:49AM]

engadget -- you are just to cute!

[Paris @ Sep 20th 2007 10:10AM]

American Telephone & Telegraph for the USA,
British Telecommunications for the UK,
Deutsche Telecom for Germany,
France Telecom for France.

Do you the pattern here?

[Alex Padilla @ Sep 20th 2007 10:45AM]

yeah...they're all phone companies...

[Andrew @ Sep 20th 2007 11:49AM]

Actually the company that will be carrying the iPhone in Britain, O2, is a part of Telefonica (of Spain).

[SubGenius @ Sep 20th 2007 12:17PM]

Yes I see the pattern...

American Telephone & Telegraph for the USA,
British Telecommunications for the UK,
(Canadian Telecom for the Canucks)
Deutsche Telecom for Germany,
(Estonian Telekom for Estonia)
France Telecom for France.

What do I win?

[Paris @ Sep 20th 2007 11:45AM]

Jobs is giving he iPhone to each country's home telephone company.

[Andrew @ Sep 20th 2007 12:03PM]

Well, that's not exactly true is it. I mean O2 did originate with British Telecom - but it's not any longer: it's called Telefonica O2.

[Paris @ Sep 20th 2007 12:15PM]

Ok Andrew, I got your point on your first reply above.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Sep 20th 2007 12:27PM]

The mime is pissed because what good is a phone to him without MMS...

[Phil @ Sep 20th 2007 2:58PM]

I think he needs some 3G video messaging

[steven Haskayne @ Sep 20th 2007 4:22PM]

Whats this about the phone being subsidised...are you out of your frickin minds? i dont think so, apple would not be happy!

[CraigJ @ Sep 21st 2007 1:31PM]

reading comprehension?

[Erfan @ Sep 20th 2007 5:31PM]

I wonder how they're going to pull this off in Belgium, with the law here being that you cannot simlock a phone to a carrier? Or are they planning on not giving the Belgians the IPhone?

[nikster @ Sep 20th 2007 7:49PM]

Probably same as in Asia - 2008. There's got to be a point where unlocked iPhones are available. Here in SE Asia - where ppl are crazy about phone - there are no carrier-locked phones. Apple isn't going to introduce the concept here either, it just isn't feasible. If they sell her at all, they will have to sell unlocked. In the meantime, they are giving up profits to all the grey importers who unlock the phones anyway...

Personally I think it's really dumb of Apple, they are giving up on half of the world just to lock people into these carriers, what for? It would only make sense if they actually can't produce more iPhones than they are already producing. Or if they have some other reason to introduce the iPhone slowly.

[Dauphin @ Sep 20th 2007 6:00PM]

they are all partly owned by the government, yeah and anyhow, why not do a big lauch in whole europe, or just sale the deamned phone unlocked too, i mean get a carrier to have the Visual Voicemail thingy wich is like the only app that i see is "exclusive" and then let the rest of us pay for the unlocked iphone if we want to... anyway people are going to unlock it... anyone know when is it going to be available fopr the rest of EUROPE???

[Brumbo @ Sep 21st 2007 11:44AM]

Most of my French mates have cheap, basic mobiles and don't even know what an iPhone is. Congrats to SJ for choosing France over mobile-crazed Italy, although it is probably a matter of SIM-locking laws

[Jah @ Sep 22nd 2007 6:59PM]

iPhones from the UK & Germany will get unlocked and sold on ebay for vast amounts of money to those Europeans that wont have a local network selling the iPhone. Hopefully Europeans will be sensible and realize the cool UI can be had a lower cost by buying the iTouch. Either way, Apple seems to be behaving close to being unethical in its decisions about the iPhone distribution and pricing.

[lolo @ Sep 24th 2007 6:16PM]

"it is probably a matter of SIM-locking laws"
You are right Brumbo.
According to the french laws, phone carriers MUST offer a contract free version of the phone: If the iPhone is sold with a 2 years contract for 400€ , Orange must offer an open version, usually more expensive.

Apple might not be happy with this ...

[T.MacDonald @ Nov 23rd 2007 5:37AM]

Amazed at the level of ignorance on here.
Marcel Marceau, the world's most famous mime artiste, died on September 22nd.
The British goverment sold its last remaining stake in BT in 1993.
O2 has not been part of BT since 2001.
Don't you guys ever read the news?