O2 is investing in its network to support the wi-fi capabilities of the iPhone and says it will have 30 per cent Edge coverage by the launch of the phone.
The operator's UK CEO Matthew Key (above left, with Jobs) said: "We are confident that we will sell a significant number of iPhones." But neither Apple nor O2 would give details of the financial arrangement behind the deal. Key said O2's own research suggested 80 per cent of their high value customers would like the phone, and 40 per cent of customers on rival networks would switch to get their hands on the device.
This is in line with exclusive research by silicon.com which found that one in three readers polled would be willing to switch networks to get hold of the phone.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger
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1. Rob
Jobs is so full of crap, 3G smartphones are fine if the battery is of a good standard, mine will last a good day and half before needing a charge and that's permanently connected to the internet, 90% of the time via 3G. Doesn't say much for the iPhone either, it has 2 batteries that you can't get at.
Perhaps some of those "girlfriends" felt quite lucky they didn't marry. From what I've heard a couple of operators turned Apple down due to the contract and how much cut Apple wanted from the iPhone tariff. I get a feeling Apple are still trying to re-coup money on the iPhone project, they sound quite desperate to claw as much cash as possible from the user, all in on an O2 contract and your looking at £900 for the phone with anything from 10 to 40% from the tariff going to Apple (which it looks like O2 have passed directly onto the customer by upping the tariff a little compared to it's equivalent).
As a phone deal in the UK it stinks and the technology is out of date, EDGE indeed, bet O2 are hating the fact they have to implement this, talk about being red faced in front of your investors.
Shame Apple came up with iPhone, if it had been Sony Ericsson, we'd probably be looking at the Carlsberg of smartphones, instead of out of date status symbol phone with flashy interface.
2. anonymous
Can I take it you don't want one then?
3. Don Tregartha
But Rob, from what I can gather the unit drops in and out of conection as required. I had a go with an iphone at the weekend, a chum was over from the states. The form, the OS, the sheer coolness of the interface is going to make all the other issues seem a bit irrelevant for many users. Its handling of email and messaging makes me want to shred my crapberry and get in line for the iphone.