Orange lands broad iPhone distro deal too

We'll make this brief. Orange spokesperson Therese Wenger told the SDA news agency that it has secured rights to release the iPhone (3G version, presumably) in Switzerland and more than 10 other countries -- take that Swisscom! Other countries include Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. And France of course where it's already on sale. See, that was quick and leaves room for a dozen or so other iPhone related announcements today.

Update: Official Orange press release now out.

[Via 20minuten, thanks Pascal M.]

[giel04 @ May 16th 2008 4:24AM]

How about the Netherlands, we have a state of the art 3G network, but no one seems to be making any effort in releasing an iPhone here, at all. I wan't my share of iPhone!!

[Derry Quinn @ May 16th 2008 5:21AM]

No! This Effing suuucks. Austria already have it on sale, they got it on the same day as us in Ireland but we're stuck with crappy O2! Ugh!

[Twitchy @ May 16th 2008 7:31AM]

Don't fret my pet - this announcement just further cements the notion that the iPhone v2.0 will be released more along traditional lines; no contractual binding required in order to purchase the iPhone, but rebates if you do sign up upon purchase.

As such, it will probably be available near you shortly after release with official Apple warranty backing even if none of the networks in your country immediately jump on the "ZOMG, 3G IPHON3 FTW!!11!!1!ONEONE" bandwagon.

[Derry Quinn @ May 16th 2008 7:37AM]

Oh My Big Bang Theory you're right! Thanks for reassuring me.

*reassumes position as apple fanboi*

ALL UR WinMo ARR BELONGZ TO UZ!!!!11Oneone!!!!

[Rowdehaj @ May 16th 2008 4:29AM]

Has The Netherlands been announced yet?! I mean, Belgium before Holland? We have 6 million more inhabitants, and our country has one of the highest mobile phone usage rates in the world. I personally can't wait until we get the iPhone, when when when!?

[Rowdehaj @ May 16th 2008 4:31AM]

Needless to say, no offense to our Southern friends ;)

[ggg @ May 16th 2008 4:34AM]

http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp080516uk.html

anyway, i dont care, its cheaper to import this 'toy' from us than signing 2-3year contract with orange and pay ~2000 pln for the phone...

right now, anyone can buy an uncloked 8gb iphone in Poland for 1150-1250zł pln ( http://www.allegro.pl/48978_iphone.html?id=48978&view=gtext&order=p&change_view=1
)
its about 350euro.

[Pae @ May 16th 2008 4:34AM]

Here is the link to the press release from orange

http://www.orange.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp080516uk.html

They will bring the iPhone to Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and their African markets.

[Pae @ May 16th 2008 4:48AM]

@Thomas > Pae and Pascal is one and the same person. ;)

[Rich @ May 16th 2008 5:02AM]

Looks like the US and UK are stuck with no carrier competition then...

[dagamer34 @ May 16th 2008 5:04AM]

Well, the only other US carrier is T-Mobile and I doubt they are that interested in the iPhone.

[LordFarkward @ May 16th 2008 5:34AM]

I'm pretty sure T-mob's quite interested in the iPhone, but there might be this tiny little problem called the "5-year exclusive deal with AT&T" standing in their way...

Let's not kid ourselves (or yourselves, haters). While the iPhone isn't exactly the best phone ever nor the most advanced, it is definitely one hot seller and any carriers will sell it to increase their own competitivness if the terms are right.

[Aint Forreal @ May 16th 2008 6:05AM]

> ...but there might be this tiny little problem called the "5-year
> exclusive deal with AT&T" standing in their way...

I've seen absolutely no official mention of this anywhere. Care to cite an official source showing that length of exclusivity?

No, a mention of it in Engadget or "Franklin's Phone Blog" doesn't count as official...

[Rich @ May 16th 2008 7:25AM]

"Well, the only other US carrier is T-Mobile and I doubt they are that interested in the iPhone."

But the UK has four other carriers who could pick up the iPhone. Three of them are already signed up to sell it in other territories. It looks like 02 have got an exclusivity deal in the UK.

[Jux @ May 16th 2008 11:15AM]

@ Aint Forreal
"I've seen absolutely no official mention of this anywhere. Care to cite an official source showing that length of exclusivity?

No, a mention of it in Engadget or "Franklin's Phone Blog" doesn't count as official..."

Does USA Today work?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-05-21-at&t-iphone_N.htm

[Tapping Foot @ May 16th 2008 11:53AM]

> ...Does USA Today work?...

No, USA Today is not an official mouthpiece of either Apple nor ATT as far as I know. It has just as much veracity as Engadget.

The request for official confirmation stands.

[Nick @ May 16th 2008 5:19AM]

@dagamer34

...You're kidding right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_phone_companies

Even if you meant GSM carriers, you are horribly, horribly wrong.

[bkleven @ May 16th 2008 11:50AM]

The 3G iPhone will be a UMTS/HSDPA phone, correct?

Who in the United States besides ATT has UMTS/HSDPA?

Your own Wikipedia link explains this pretty clearly.

[cdamian @ May 16th 2008 5:45AM]

Spain anyone?

I never should have left the UK, at least they are a well supported country by Apple.

[Stelliot @ May 16th 2008 5:48AM]

In the Netherlands T-Mobile bought Orange, and will phase the Orange label out soon. Maybe that's part of the problem as Orange is no longer active here. And Somebody at Orange stabbed a colleauge to death a few weeks back!

[John B. @ May 16th 2008 6:38AM]

Engadget, I heard that somewhere in Utah, a Radio Shack flyer had a printing error and the whole page was tinted grey. Anyway, it made the iPod touch look a little silvery! Could this be a hint that Apple will be releasing a silver iPhone and iPod touch soon?

[Derry Quinn @ May 16th 2008 7:39AM]

Oh my big bang theory!!! I bet this rumor is true!!! Silvery iPt FTW!!!111!!!oneone!

[gijs @ May 16th 2008 7:12AM]

In Belgium it's Mobistart that has the deal . Atlast !

[Annun @ May 16th 2008 8:33AM]

They may have the deal but I doubt they can sell it locked. "koppelverkoop" (don't know the English word) is still illegal in Belgium. It will probably be like those other phones in Belgium with a SIM card included but where can just put another SIM in it.

[Sam @ May 16th 2008 7:16AM]

Too little too late! They will sell it "somewhere in 2008".

[aka_gus @ May 16th 2008 9:34AM]

What about Sweeeeeeden?!
I really hope Tele2 gets it over here- all the other carriers are feraking expensive.

*sigh*

[Andrew @ May 16th 2008 12:21PM]

Don't kid yourself, TeliaSonera is bound to get it for the whole of Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and Finland.

And I actually would not mind if TeliaSonera sold the iPhone here in Norway.

[Henrik J @ May 16th 2008 1:56PM]

I dont care who gets it i just want them to stop ignoring Scandinavia

[w @ May 16th 2008 10:02AM]

good news, apple is cutting on their exclusivity strategy!
now we have two network operators providing the iphone here in portugal.
this, in a certain way, assure that the iphone wont have murky contracts and complex user agreements over here, to which we are really not used to.

[Jan @ May 16th 2008 10:13AM]

As a Belgian, I'm pretty excited to read "this year". I can't keep but wonder if Steve will pull a big stunt and announce the 3G iPhone worldwide for all these carriers. There have been more news items like this one, but sometimes they refer to "end of the year".

I'm not sure what the situation here in Belgium will be, as it is forbidden by law to simlock. Selling phones with a contract attached is also forbidden. Let alone selling a phone with a discount if you take a contract.

My bet is the iPhone in Belgium will be simlock free, but more expensive. And Orange (Mobistar), will be the only carrier to implement all the necessary stuff for the iPhone to work (cf. Visual Voicemail,...)

[bernard @ May 16th 2008 10:32AM]

i dont understand why mobistar didnt change its name to orange already. i mean Base has been around for years so i dont see what would be the problem.

[chosen1 @ May 16th 2008 11:22AM]

let's hope the price stays reasonable! it probably will be around €900 which is about $1400.

I hope the persons responsible for thoses prices burn in hell.

I'll probably import an iPhone if the price is higher than the US price

[darkangelpt @ May 16th 2008 1:11PM]

Portugal? WTF?

Orange isn't even a mobile carrier around here...this is weird.

[xu @ May 16th 2008 2:17PM]

Orange doesn't operate in Portugal.... strange

[w @ May 16th 2008 4:53PM]

@darkangelpt @xu

it's true they dont operate here directly, but orange is the main shareholder of optimus.

http://tek.sapo.pt/4N0/819725.html

[gentux @ May 16th 2008 7:20PM]

It MUST be a 3G iPhone at least in Switzerland. Orange doesn't operate EDGE (2.5G) here. Or would you like to surf with 42 Kbps (dial up anyone?)

And for that "Take that swisscom!", Orange has only 1.8 Mbps HSDPA where Swisscom is upgrading to 7.2 Mbps. So I would recommend Swisscom over Orange.

The conditions are more attractive and you don't have to wait at the hotline with Swisscom.

I had a contract with all of them Swisscom, Sunrise and Orange so believe me.