iPhone launching in Ireland on March 14th?

Looks like the iPhone is launching in Ireland with O2 on March 14th, according to Pocket-lint. It's supposed to go for the low, low price of €399 (including VAT) on the 8GB and €499 for the 16GB; we haven't heard anything solid either way, but we'll let you know if we do (and you do the same, would ya?).

[Thanks, John and Ronan]

[modafroman @ Feb 28th 2008 4:14AM]

Pffft, ireland. HELLO APPLE! WE WANT THE IPHONE IN AUSTRALIA PLEASE!

kthxbye.

[Darkroom @ Feb 28th 2008 4:20AM]

australia please! as if! it's all about Canada... but i feel your pain... so whatever on that Ireland!

;)

[kakapo @ Feb 28th 2008 5:26AM]

We Aussies definitely deserve to have the iPhone downunder! Why?, you may ask. Because we have the largest per capita mobile phone usage in the world (in 1897) ;)

Canada - aye... just pop across the border and grab one (or two) and jailbreak it! Pfft! As if!

Well, we can only hope that when the new Apple owned retail store opens in Syd that we will see the iPhone intro'd too!

Good luck Ireland. Enjoy!

[Colin @ Feb 28th 2008 6:09AM]

I second the iPhone in Canada sentiment! Hell, I don't even really want an iPhone- I want an N95- but if it forces Rogers to offer unlimited data, I'll settle for an iPhone.

Check out Rogers' bitching "Windows Mobile Data Plans": $40 a month for unlimited email from domains Rogers deems worthy (Hotmail, Gmail, Shaw, Rogers, etc.) and a whopping 8 MB of data transfer...and only $10/MB if you go over. (Yes, you can only sign up if you purchase a WinMo device through Rogers.)

Fricking Canadian providers. Fricking CRTC. Gah! The demise of Fido as an independent destroyed what little competition there was in the market here.

[Lance @ Feb 28th 2008 6:37AM]

kakapo,

when is the Apple store opening? I saw it about a month ago and it looked like it could be a while.

[gavsteed @ Feb 28th 2008 4:33AM]

I'm in Ireland, its supposedly being launched today it was on the radio this morning....at 11.15am at the O2 hq in the city!

[Arafel @ Feb 28th 2008 4:28AM]

Yep it's being internally released today at o2 headquarters in Dublin. The tariff that they are offering seems fairly good too. Still think I'll wait until Apple announce the iPhone v2 though.

[Spike @ Feb 28th 2008 4:26AM]

Its amazing even in todays world that they still get away with $ = €. That 8GB iPhone just cost you $600.

[jaapV @ Feb 28th 2008 7:54AM]

This will never change, and has always been the case. Inflation is currently really high in Ireland, so that's one. Things are more expensive here, because it is an island, and is a very small market (3.8 Million or so). Further, ever heard of 21% VAT?

[Ryan Waddell @ Feb 28th 2008 4:07PM]

Yup... I HATED the pricing on electronics in Ireland. I always bought my stuff from online stores in Germany. But EVERYTHING is more expensive in Ireland. Which is why I moved back to Canada. :)

[zfurie @ Feb 28th 2008 4:27AM]

Representing Melbourne! You got one potential customer here!

[mars @ Feb 28th 2008 4:31AM]

There will be riots in Canada real soon if Apple doesn't bring us the iPhone.

[gfar @ Feb 28th 2008 8:00AM]

Why don't you support a superior Canadian phone like the BlackBerry?

If you _really_ wanted one, you could easily buy an unlocked one. No one will be rioting.

[mars @ Feb 28th 2008 4:47PM]

I don't want a crackberry, and I also am not interested in a cracked iPhone.

[Ian G @ Feb 28th 2008 5:15AM]

Oh bugger, the disease spreads. I don't mind the iphone, just some of the people who use it.

[dan @ Feb 28th 2008 10:33AM]

Its going to be launced today at 11:30am gmt in dublin

[w00t @ Feb 28th 2008 4:34AM]

€399?
Wow Ireland is getting fleeced worse than England!

Apple really need to learn how to use a currency converter and stop ripping off Europeans, and yes that includes us too!

In England it's 32% more expensive, in Ireland it's 48% more expensive. That's nearly 1.5x the US price. Apple is taking the piss, even with our 17.5% vat there's a huge disparity here!

[cgarvey @ Feb 28th 2008 5:57AM]

Where does 48% come from? If you're doing sales tax / VAT inclusive comparison (which isn't a fair comparison) it's 33% more expensive in Ireland (than in the US). The more accurate comparison would be without the sales tax:

$399 x 0.662366 (xe.com, so give or take a small bit) = €264.28
The difference being €65.47 making a more modest 25% difference!!

Apple have always fleeced Ireland on the exchange rate (and the rest of EU to a lesser extent). If you want a high-end MacBook Pro, or Mac Pro, it would pay for you to get a return flight (a cheap one at least) to New York. If you're prepared to take the chance that you won't get caught for customs (Import Duty & VAT) on the way back, throw in a night's stay and still come out on top.

[blake Jeffery @ Feb 28th 2008 2:45PM]

heeellllo?, do we exist, it's like people from down under don't exist, we have 1 more month for apple to make it's deadline for asia/oceania, but was ireland even on the initial release list for 2008?, or is it just out of the blue?

[dannythepetrock @ Feb 28th 2008 4:58AM]

again, melbourne represent.

only.. i already have an iPhone ;)

[BigBloke @ Feb 28th 2008 4:49AM]

That has to be the most pathetic comment so far.

[BigBloke @ Feb 28th 2008 4:47AM]

For that sort of money, an iPhone would the last phone to buy. Sometime soon, a 3G model is going to come out and the 'early adopters' will be once again shafted.

As for the Aussies, you can actually thank Apple that you have to wait. Just count all the coin you have saved by letting all the Yanks be the guinea pigs.

On the count of three, all do obeisance to Jobsy :-)

[Niallers @ Feb 28th 2008 4:52AM]

Welcome to the rip-off-republic..uh i mean republic of ireland

[Guiliano @ Feb 28th 2008 5:04AM]

Heres the question, if I bought an iPhone in the States could I activate it here in Ireland and save myself a small fortune!?

[Laura @ Feb 28th 2008 5:08AM]

No I'm pretty sure you have to take out the AT&T contract when you buy it so you'd be stuck with an phone that only works in america. Unless you want to emigrate there for 2 years ;)

[Guiliano @ Feb 28th 2008 5:12AM]

Its my understanding that you arent buying into a contract when you buy the phone though. I could go out and buy 100 iPhones tomorrow with no contract. But when I get them home and want to activate them Id have to do it through iTunes. So my question is really, during the activation process in iTunes are American iPhones hardcoded to only allow activation through AT&T or would the phone take me to O2s process as Id be signed into the Irish iTunes store and on an Irish IP

[L4Flare @ Feb 28th 2008 7:37AM]

When you buy the phone you dont buy an AT&T contract. But you do need a credit card to buy the phone (or so I'm told). My mate has a jailbroken one on Vodafone, he bought one when he was in America last year, and he's convinced me to buy one when I go to Los Angeles next month.

[Laura @ Feb 28th 2008 5:06AM]

lucky I'm in Northern Ireland, we got the iPhone at the same time as the rest of the UK.

could people in the republic not just buy their iPhone here in the north for (slightly) cheaper because they're on the same network?

I have a feeling O2-Ireland is different from O2-UK though. hmm.

[MC @ Feb 28th 2008 5:16AM]

it's so sad how every other post on the web is ending with a question mark = rumor/ speculation = not reliable!

Bloggers gone wild!

[diarmy @ Feb 28th 2008 5:20AM]

Apparently, it's being launched in Ireland "TODAY"

:D

[PJK @ Feb 28th 2008 5:20AM]

No thanks, you can shove your sloppy seconds!

[jason @ Feb 28th 2008 6:15AM]

ARRRRRgh cmon apple bring the bloody iphone to australia.... but dear god not with telstra, ive been waiting for years but if its with Telstra you can stick it

[TheBeli @ Feb 28th 2008 9:27AM]

Finland please!

Bah, I'm just gonna buy a Nokia...

[cgarvey @ Feb 28th 2008 6:37AM]

Details out now .. 1GB cap (regardless of tariff), with tariffs from €45 - €100, no visual voicemail, 2c/MB overage, and on Ireland's only network to charge for calls to voicemail .. http://url.ie/9od

[L4Flare @ Feb 28th 2008 7:50AM]

The iPhone would be more suited to the network 'three' cos they actually have decent data packages (unlimited 3G broadband for €20. 100 MB for €6. Not bad when compared to competitors who practically charge a euro per MB). Too bad the a 3 sim card won't work in a non-3G phone :(

[Kenji F @ Feb 28th 2008 9:29AM]

Ouch. So, you're getting shafted. Now let's see what's going to happen in other countries.

[Pajo23 @ Feb 28th 2008 9:28AM]

What a crock - I was looking forward to the iPhone in Ireland but looking at the tariff offerings, it's all a bit of a let down! Paying for voicemail? No visual voicemail? Limited downloads? What a joke - come on Apple, look at the 3 Network!!

[Brodie @ Feb 28th 2008 9:39AM]

So in Ireland are they going to call it the o'Phone?

[luke @ Feb 28th 2008 9:45AM]

just in time for st. patricks day, with those expensive tariffs and 1gb download limit i'll need to get my spade and find a pot of gold.

[Karen @ Feb 28th 2008 10:07AM]

Ahh I'm happy the iPhones coming out in Ireland. I'm dyin for one. But after being on the o2 website I do not like the look of the price plans and 1BG limit. So I think I'll wait to get a job. Plus I'm just after changin to o2's prepay today for those free texts to any network.

[Brian H Fitzsimons @ Mar 2nd 2008 10:03AM]

Heres the detail people ...
www.brianfitzsimons.com

Tariffs for iPhone

Buy the 8GB iPhone for €399 or the 16GB iPhone for €499 then choose from one of our iPhone tariffs
Monthly charge €45 €65 €100 Units
Anytime minutes included* 175 350 700 Mins
Texts included* 100 150 250 Texts
Data included** 1GB 1GB 1GB GB
Additional calls 20c 20c 20c Per min
Additional texts 10c 10c 10c Per texts
Voicemail*** 15c 15c 15c Per min

Terms & Conditions

* Unused inclusive minutes and texts cannot be carried over to the following month
** Data use in excess of the 1GB allowance will be charged at 2c per MB excluding roaming
*** Visual voicemail is not currently supported.

All iPhone tariffs are subject to an 18 month agreement. It is a requirement that when purchasing iPhone that you pay your monthly bill by Bank Direct Debit or Credit Card Direct Debit.

iPhone is restricted to use on the O2 Ireland network unless you are roaming. If you do not enter into and remain in an applicable agreement with O2 on one of our tariffs for iPhone, you will not be able to use the phone functionality of your iPhone. If you attempt to unlock iPhone and use it on another network, it may become permanently unusable.

Making unauthorised modifications to the software on your iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement, and the inability to use your iPhone due to unauthorised software modifications is not covered under your iPhone’s warranty.

www.brianfitzsimons.com