iPhone Unlocked By Apple! - Only In France.
10.19.07 - 11:26am
Apple may have changed the cell phone devices themselves by upgrading the regular cell phone from buttons to touch, but it also changed the cell phone industry by taking money for each phone activated through an exclusive cell phone network.
‘For operators, having an handset maker suddenly demand a slice of their revenues is like being asked to change your religion,’ said Gerry Collins, the director of strategic marketing at Nortel Networks, a Canadian company that makes wireless phone networks. “This is really a significant change for the industry.
Apple has signed exclusive deals in several different countries outside the U.S. to market the iPhone and take a portion of the mobile operating markets. They weren’t able to accomplish this in France. In France it is against the law for a cell phone to be bundled with a specific operator and try as they might Apple couldn’t change this. So for France they are offering the first Apple unlocked iPhone in the world.
The news was just announced that while Orange will be the exclusive source for the iPhone, (i.e. actually buying the phone) they will not be the exclusive carrier. The iPhone will be open to all carriers, although for what price we don’t know yet.
Apple, while not able to change the French law, was able to bend it. They are offering a locked iPhone with Orange as the carrier for $560. Unlocked versions will be available, but they will cost more.
The price of the unlocked iPhone will be revealed in France during a November launch. Whether or not they are still giving Apple shares of their revenue was another detail not disclosed.
“We are excited to partner with Orange and bring iPhone to France in time for the holidays,” Jobs said in a statement.
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