An Apple a Day … more operators to sell iPhone

September 29, 2009 — Damien

Following on yesterday’s news that Orange Uk will start selling iPhone … ending O2 / Telefonica’s virtual monopoly in the UK. Today, Vodafone in UK and Ireland  announced their plans to sell Apple iPhones.

Good news for the operators? well ending the monopoly of iPhone was a good move. An operator with a data usage strategy will want to be selling iPhones along side other data hungry phones like RIM, Android, Symbian devices.

Many first mover customers coming out of their 24 month agreements on the iPhone 2G will be happy to wait a few months, but 3G and 3GS users probably will be waiting another 12 – 24 months.

For Christmas does this mean an Apple under the tree??? I don’t think so.

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Orange UK to get Apple

September 28, 2009 — Damien

ORANGE UK announce that Apple is coming soon

Apple’s iPhone will be available to Orange customers in the UK later this year, ending rival O2’s exclusive deal over the must-have handset, the mobile operator said.

The announcement by Orange ends months of speculation that it was trying to muscle in on O2’s deal with Apple, which gave it exclusive UK rights to the iPhone in 2007. The 3G and 3GS versions will be available to Orange UK customers “later this year”, but no further details of dates, handset costs or tariffs are available yet, the firm said.

Operator exclusivity over Apple’s iPhone for the past 2 years has probably been good for boosting retention and aquisition in customers who love Apple or were already using smartphones.

This makes sense for the possible soon to be bigger operator. Customers on Orange are already offered a choice of Android, Symbian and Blackberry smartphones. Adding Apple to the range improves the chances of them staying with Orange and increasing ARPU and data usage.

What do you think? A smart move ??

 

*** 4 November – updated *** Orange is sending out emails to everyone who signed up to their Apple database. Orange claimed over 200,000 people signed up

 

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New UK MVNO before Christmas – Giffgaff to offer free calls

September 24, 2009 — Damien

Name: Giffgaff

MNO: O2

A SIM-only MVNO offering cheaper calls to its most active subscribers is to launch in the UK before Christmas.

Giffgaff will reward subscribers with cash rebates when they distribute its SIMs, help other members via its forums and suggest ideas which are then implemented by the company.

source: http://www.nma.co.uk/

Posted in Mobile, Networks, UK. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Happy New Year and welcome 2008

January 3, 2008 — Damien

My role as music product manager in a global organisation does allow for some time out .. today is the first official day back in the office … so happy new year.

A few interesting stories that I will certainly be watching

  • Warner and Amazon announced DRM Free for their USA store  – I wonder how long before Amazon launches in the UK
  • Fox announces video content on Itunes – but its still DRM’d
  • Billboard says 2008 will be the year we get digital album artwork as part of our online purchases – great news!
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O2 Sells 8000 iPhones on first night

November 19, 2007 — Damien

O2 sent an email to stores an hour after the launch, claiming that 2,000 customers who bought iPhones from O2 stores had registered their devices at 7:02pm. That figure soared to 8,000 by the end of the night.

Sales vary considerably from store to store, with anecdotes of disinterest from some, disbelief at the price tag from others and customers queuing in the snow at O2’s Aberdeen store.

Source: http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/content/17234.asp?men=2&sub=1

Most O2 and Carphone stores said they sold ’solid numbers’ of iPhones – tens rather than hundreds.

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200000 iPhones to be sold by O2 UK by end of year

November 5, 2007 — Damien

O2 UK expects to sell around 200,000 iPhones by the start of the New Year. Sales will start on 9 November, and Matthew Key, CEO of O2’s UK business, told the Financial Times he expected “a couple of hundred thousand” iPhones to be sold in the first two months.

O2 has ordered “hundreds of thousands” of iPhones from Apple for its stores and online outlets as well as shops run by Carphone Warehouse. After the June launch in the US, 1 million iPhones were sold in just under two and a half months.

The iPhone will sell for GBP 269 in the UK, and customers will have to take out an O2 contract for at least GBP 35 per month for 18 months.

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Apple iPhone for Europe partnering with Vodafone, t-Mobile & Carphone Warehouse?

July 2, 2007 — Damien

On the rumour mill for some weeks has been the story that Vodafone and t-Mobile were in discussions about sole distributorship rights for a European iPhone. But now Gizmodo, have suggested that an announcement is due today and that both operators will win, leveraging the successes of both networks in different countries.

This would be great news for GSM users globally, a non-exclusive agreement would have far reaching appeal to mobile phone users than the American AT&T arrangement. Gizmodo also suggest that Carphone Warehouse (its name in the UK) will also get a distributor licence.

We wait to hear if it will be a 3G phone with better camera and more memory!

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Turkey delays 3G licence auction for lack of interest

May 24, 2007 — Damien

Turkey’s telecommunications regulator has postponed the tender for four third-generation phone licenses. The tender, which was supposed to be held May 25, will now be held September 7, an official from the Communications Ministry said on Tuesday.

There was limited interest in the contract conditions, said Ertuğrul Karaçuha, Head of the Telecommunications Board, reported business daily Referans. Fearing the necessary tender demand would not form, the tender has been postponed to September, he said. The Telecommunications Board made the decision on Monday.

 source: http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=73976

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Turk Telecom gets in ‘dirty ads’ fight about mobile number portability

April 19, 2007 — Damien

On Monday Türk Telecom announced it will take legal action against all illicit advertisements and presentations targeting Türk Telecom and its new tariff. Competition among the companies in the telecommunications sector is becoming brutal and the announcement gave the competition a whole new dimension.

Meanwhile, Avea’s general Manager Cüneyt Türktan accused Turkcell of being inconsistent for heading to the court for the annulment of the number portability, after supporting it first.

Following the altercations among Vodafone, Avea and Turkcell similar contestations are now developing between Türk Telekom and alternative operators.

Responding to the questions related to the new Türk Telekom tariffs, “There is only one competitor for Türk Telecom - Turkcell, said Türk Telecom CEO Paul Doany, adding, Tariffs are out there. Subscribers should really take a look at them. Then they will see that we are one-quarter cheaper than them.�

“I just really don’t understand how Turkcell’s number of subscribers can keep raising with the price increase implemented, he said.

The competition is not only among the GSM operators. There also is a big competition among the companies providing long distance services, and Türk Telecom is the leading provider. Alternative operators revolted against the discounts Türk telecom implemented on long distance calls.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70985

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Turkey launches tender for 4 3G licences

April 19, 2007 — Damien

Turkey has announced plans to offers for third-generation (3G) mobile phone licenses — Short-listed bidders then enter a second-round bid. The minimum bid prices range from 140 million euros ($189 million) to 252 million euros ($340 million). The Turkish mobile market is currently home to three operators, Turkcell, Vodafone-Telsim and Avea.

Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım was speaking at the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association’s (MÜSİAD) traditional Thursday talks. Yıldırım said he was expecting interest from the existing three GSM operators in Turkey — Turkcell, Vodafone (formerly Telsim) and Avea — in the investigation of feasible price studies for 3G licenses.

European countries had made mistakes by requesting high license fees in tenders, noted Yıldırım, while Japan gave the licenses for free – and Turkey plans to do something in the middle. Yıldırım also mentioned possible future financial incentives to boost research and development in the telecommunications sector.

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