Engadget

KDDI may get iPhone 5, putting an end to Softbank's exclusivity in Japan

Brad Molen — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:02:00 EST

The walls of tyrannical exclusivity may soon come crashing down in Japan. According to Nikkei, "officials" in the know have indicated that KDDI is gearing up to release the iPhone 5 on its network, thus ending competitor SoftBank's reign as the iconic device's sole provider in the Land of the Rising Sun. As we've come to expect in the days leading up to official Apple announcements, the details are incredibly scant. SoftBank, the third-largest carrier in the country, has been inching closer and closer to second-place KDDI with very little breathing room left; it's understandable, then, that the latter would be eagerly awaiting the end of iPhone exclusivity to make an agreement with Apple and boost its subscriber count. As it's all hearsay for the time being, we'll just have to wait a little while longer before we know every detail on the mystery device(s).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

KDDI may get iPhone 5, putting an end to Softbank's exclusivity in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CDMA iPhone rumored for India as exclusivities end in Germany and Holland

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:31:00 EST

More fuel for the CDMA iPhone fire today. The Wall Street Journal says that Apple is in talks with both Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices to bring a CDMA version of its iPhone -- the one it again says will be on sale at Verizon early next year -- to India. The discussions have apparently been ongoing for four or five months according to one WSJ source.

This comes out as news of iPhone exclusivity arrangements are ending in both Germany and The Netherlands. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom loses its exclusive now that both O2 and Vodafone will be offering Apple's finest before the holidays. In Holland, T-Mobile just lost its exclusive arrangement as both KPN and Vodafone have announced plans to carry the iPhone -- no specific dates were mentioned though, like Germany, in time for the holidays is a pretty good guess.

CDMA iPhone rumored for India as exclusivities end in Germany and Holland originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Getting real about a phone that's not (part 1)

Ross Rubin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In the short history of smartphones, handsets carrying all but one of the major operating systems have been available to multiple U.S. carriers. That exception is iOS, for which the iPhone has been the only model. Of course, the iPhone's close cousin, the iPod touch, is available regardless of carrier (or service fees, for that matter), and has sometimes been referred to as "the iPhone for Verizon users." Ultimately, though, it's not. While the iPod touch provides access to a dizzying array of functionality that will likely expand this fall, its lack of an integrated cellular radio and attendant voice calling features means that it cannot assume that primary role in one's digital life in the same way that many smartphones have.

For this reason, the notion of a Verizon iPhone remains one of the hottest rumors in the industry, with many assuming that it would cause a fundamental shift in the competitive landscape. But there are many reasons that a Verizon iPhone may take years to arrive -- if it ever does -- and may not create nearly the disruption that it has on AT&T.

Continue reading Switched On: Getting real about a phone that's not (part 1)

Switched On: Getting real about a phone that's not (part 1) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: iPhone 4 to be offered by Vodafone and O2 in Germany as T-Mobile loses exclusivity

Vlad Savov — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:39:00 EST

The last bastion of Applephone exclusivity in Europe is about to be toppled, according to the Wall Street Journal, as Deutsche Telekom is said to be preparing for the loss of its iPhone 4 monopoly ahead of this year's holiday shopping season. Citing separate sources familiar with the matter, this report suggests that Vodafone and O2's German arms are earnestly reaching out for Apple's latest and greatest, and while distribution deals haven't yet been finalized, negotiations have reached an "advanced stage." Much as with O2's UK exclusivity deal, Apple looks to have opted against extending its arrangement with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile in an effort to reach the widest possible consumer base. Makes a lot of sense to us, now how about doing the same back home?

WSJ: iPhone 4 to be offered by Vodafone and O2 in Germany as T-Mobile loses exclusivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T's bullish earnings report suggests iPhone exclusivity is almost over

Sean Hollister — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:24:00 EST

You can tell a product ranks high in the public consciousness when something like this is news: AT&T's quarterly earnings report makes it sound like the telecom may finally lose its iPhone exclusivity deal. While a class-action lawsuit recently confirmed the handset was originally locked to AT&T / Cingular for a full five years, the company's Q2 SEC filing has the company making a considerable number of familiar excuses why AT&T's cellular business will thrive even "as these exclusivity arrangements end." While the iPhone isn't mentioned by name, it's hard to imagine sentences like "We believe offering a wide variety of handsets reduces dependence on any single handset" could refer to anything else -- but before you start defecting to Team Red, know there's nothing in there that suggests a date, much less proof of the fabled CDMA iPhone.

AT&T's bullish earnings report suggests iPhone exclusivity is almost over originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone AT&T exclusivity lawsuit granted class-action certification, every AT&T iPhone customer included

Nilay Patel — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:02:00 EST

Hey, remember that iPhone class-action lawsuit we poked around in a couple months ago and discovered Apple's lawyers confirming the original five year AT&T exclusivity agreement? Well, get ready to hear about it a lot more in the months to come, as the judge in the case has officially certified the case as a class action, meaning it now officially includes anyone who's ever bought an iPhone on AT&T. If you'll recall, the argument is that iPhone customers signed up for a two-year contract without being told that AT&T had an exclusive for five years -- thus in reality being held to the carrier for an additional three years without recourse. Sure, that sounds a little silly, but if you bought the first-gen iPhone and wanted to stick with the platform it's the truth -- discounting the fact, of course, that no one's required to buy another Phone after two years, and even then you have to sign a new contract. While we're definitely curious to see if the plaintiffs can get past that little logical hurdle and win something more than a token settlement, we're far more interested to see if they can get any more documentation from Apple nailing down its actual agreement with AT&T. Should be juicy -- we'll keep you in the loop.

iPhone AT&T exclusivity lawsuit granted class-action certification, every AT&T iPhone customer included originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 hits T-Mobile Germany in June, three Canadian carriers in July

Sean Hollister — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:24:00 EST

Hot on the heels of a three-way UK celebration, Deutche Telekom's reportedly managed to continue its coup -- if the company's Twitter account is to be believed, German exclusivity of the iPhone 4 will go to T-Mobile this June. Meanwhile, the English (and French) speaking world is still rolling out iPhone launch dates, as Canada's Rogers, Telus and Bell Mobility have all quietly announced the new superphone will be available "in the coming weeks" or "coming soon." Americans at Engadget HQ are supremely jealous of your choices, Canada... and rest assured that we feel Germany's pain, too.

Update: T-Mobile is also continuing its tradition of carrying the iPhone in the Netherlands, with another announcement that's light on specifics. [Thanks, Xylias]

iPhone 4 hits T-Mobile Germany in June, three Canadian carriers in July originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal -- but is it still valid?

Nilay Patel — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:04:00 EST

The term of Apple and AT&T's iPhone exclusivity deal has long been a mystery -- although USA Today reported a five-year arrangement when the original iPhone came out in 2007, that number has never been independently confirmed, and it's been looking suspect in recent weeks as Verizon iPhone chatter has gotten louder. But we've been doing some digging and we can now confirm that Apple and AT&T entered into a five-year iPhone exclusive in 2007, based on court documents filed by Apple in California. Read on!

Continue reading Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal -- but is it still valid?

Confirmed: Apple and AT&T signed five-year iPhone exclusivity deal -- but is it still valid? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone to be sold by Tesco in the UK, hemorrhages cachet

Vlad Savov — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:30:00 EST

So we know the iPhone has been slumming it and selling itself on Walmart shelves in the US for a while now, but it's retained a somewhat more dignified cachet over here in Europe. Until today, that is. Just "in time for Christmas," British retailer Tesco will make it possible for you to buy your socks, no-frills groceries, and shiny smartphone all in the same place. You'll still be riding O2's network, thanks to the Tesco Mobile service, but the department store chain is likely to price its contracts more aggressively, as it already has a £30 per month plan that includes unlimited calls, texts, and web surfing. Maybe there's something to this whole "competition" thing after all then, eh?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPhone to be sold by Tesco in the UK, hemorrhages cachet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The end of exclusivity leading to big iPhone sales in Europe

Darren Murph — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:21:00 EST

Go figure, right? You get a relatively hot phone out onto more carriers, and just like that, sales increase. It ain't rocket science, buster. As AT&T grins happily while enjoying a death grip on Apple's cash cow here in the States, things are a lot more wide open for consumers across the pond. In both France and the UK, the iPhone has been given the all-clear to be sold on multiple carriers, and according to research from Bernstein, the "widening of the distribution has boosted Apple's value market share to 32 percent in the latest quarter from 21 percent just three months earlier." The notes also mention that Apple's increase is coming at the expense of RIM, with over 600,000 iPhone handsets being sold during Q3 2009 in France alone. The point to all this madness? Oh, not much -- just to tell Sir Jobs that he can count on quite a bit more dough should he decide to sell this elusive "iPhone" device on Verizon in the US of A.

The end of exclusivity leading to big iPhone sales in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end... sometime

Donald Melanson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:23:00 EST

Well, it's not much, but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega doesn't exactly have to go too far out on a limb to attract attention when he's talking about something as big as an end to iPhone exclusivity. His latest, and seemingly most extensive ruminations on the matter came during a conference call with analysts this week, where he reportedly said that AT&T has a "legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," and that he thinks AT&T's ability to drive results "will continue after the iPhone." He did seem to dial things back a bit later in the call, however, switching to langauge like "even if we lose exclusivity" instead of "after the iPhone," and going on to extol the virtues of the iPhone, noting that "others will try to emulate them [Apple], but that device by far is the best in terms of ease of use."

Filed under: Handsets, ATT, Apple

AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end... sometime originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end... sometime

Donald Melanson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:21:00 EST

Well, it's not much, but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega doesn't exactly have to go too far out on a limb to attract attention when he's talking about something as big as an end to iPhone exclusivity. His latest, and seemingly most extensive ruminations on the matter came during a conference call with analysts this week, where he reportedly said that AT&T has a "legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," and that he thinks AT&T's ability to drive results "will continue after the iPhone." He did seem to dial things back a bit later in the call, however, switching to language like "even if we lose exclusivity" instead of "after the iPhone," and going on to extol the virtues of the iPhone, noting that "others will try to emulate them [Apple], but that device by far is the best in terms of ease of use."

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end... sometime originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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O2 issues brief, cold press release on Orange's iPhone win

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:56:00 EST

Think of it from the perspective of the media relations team: after a two-year run dating back to the original iPhone, your network has just lost its exclusivity with Apple -- perhaps the highest-profile company to do so. Do you pretend it didn't happen? And if you do decide to address it, how do you spin it? Well, sit back, ladies and gentlemen, and observe O2's PR gurus at work -- because they've just spit out a terse two-paragraph release on the matter that makes no mention of Orange whatsoever, and only a veiled reference to the exclusivity loss at all. Instead, they're boasting that they "always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time" and even throw in a mention of the Pre, another high-profile model that's about to become an O2 exclusive, closing on a high note: "We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK." You just had to play the subscriber count card, didn't you, guys?

Filed under: O2, Orange, Apple

O2 issues brief, cold press release on Orange's iPhone win originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile UK sneakily offering iPhone 3G to moneyed customers

Vlad Savov — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:59:00 EST

We really couldn't make this stuff up -- it would seem that T-Mobile has been sneaking some hi-tech contraband into the UK in the form of unlocked iPhone 3G handsets, which it is now peddling to its most valued clientele. And by that, of course, we mean the piggies that pay up the most every month. Limited to an extremely select 150 units a week, the Apple devices are being used as incentives for high-rolling customers to renew their eye-gouging contracts of £75 per month and above, though we suspect only a few chums in corner offices know exactly how much T-Mob is charging for the handset itself.

We've done some digging, and while O2 has exclusivity on the iPhone 3G until September, that does not prevent T-Mobile from essentially functioning as a reseller of unlocked SIM-free units. Further distancing itself from legal action, the carrier is only offering the handsets to upgrading customers (as opposed to newcomers), thus the phones technically come sans a SIM. So, the suits at Magenta Towers must be feeling pretty smug right about now, having danced through a loophole and secured a wildly popular (albeit older generation) phone, all in the name of keeping high-brow customers from jumping ship. While you won't hear any PR from T-Mobile on the matter, we have a full statement from O2 on the subject of losing 3G exclusivity come September. You ready?

We have a multi-year agreement with Apple to sell iPhone in the UK. This relationship continues.

Man, those Britons keep it short and sweet, don't they?

Filed under: Handsets, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, Apple, iPhone OS

T-Mobile UK sneakily offering iPhone 3G to moneyed customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile UK sneakily offering iPhone 3G to moneyed customers

Vlad Savov — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:59:00 EST

We have a multi-year agreement with Apple to sell iPhone in the UK. This relationship continues.

Man, those Britons keep it short and sweet, don't they?

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile UK sneakily offering iPhone 3G to moneyed customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T CEO admits iPhone won't be exclusive forever

Donald Melanson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:48:00 EST

It may not be all that shocking from a common sense point of view, but AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson's statement that "there will be a day when you are not exclusive with the iPhone" is still quite a departure from anything he's said in the past and, given the stakes involved, pretty darn notable. That word came at Fortune's now happening Brainstorm: Tech conference, where Stephenson unsurprisingly didn't elaborate on any negotiations with Apple, and only went so far as to say that he thinks AT&T's partnership with Apple "works really, really well -- maybe as well as any strategic partnership we have." Of course, none of that means exclusivity is going away anytime soon, and you can pretty safely bet that AT&T will keep on pushing as long as it can.

Filed under: Handsets, ATT, Apple

AT&T CEO admits iPhone won't be exclusive forever originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T CEO admits iPhone won't be exclusive forever

Donald Melanson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:48:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T CEO admits iPhone won't be exclusive forever originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange's iPhone exclusive ruled illegal in France

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:19:00 EST

After 13 months into a five-year exclusivity deal in France, the French competition agency has ruled the Apple and Orange (the mobile subsidiary of France Telecom) cartel illegal. Something that could have a knock-on effect throughout Europe. The agency criticized the Orange/Apple pact for having "grave and immediate" effect on the overall French mobile marketplace and thus, the French consumer, by introducing "a new flavor of rigidity in a sector that already lacks competition." The injunction, while temporary, is enough to allow other French carriers to distribute the iPhone 3G in time for the holidays. Shrug.

Filed under: Handsets, Orange, Apple

Orange's iPhone exclusive ruled illegal in France originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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