T-Mobile set to be Europe's exclusive iPhone carrier?

With the Apple iPhone set for release in the U.S. next month (with AT&T), which non-U.S. mobile carriers will be the first to get some Apple mobile lovin'? According to the churning rumor mill, T-Mobile has secured a pretty solid seat in the running to be the first European carrier for the iPhone, but Vodafone is in hot pursuit as well. T-Mobile may have the leg up, according to Gartner research, since the iPhone's iTunes would possibly clash with Vodafone's Live! portal. The bigger question is whether Apple wants to limit itself to one initial carrier in Europe, since that market and the U.S. wireless market are completely different beasts. We're sure to see something before this autumn's European iPhone release.

[Via Tech Digest]

[carlo @ May 15th 2007 6:09PM]

I wonder how many people in Europe would be interested in a very expensive, non HSDPA phone... I guess it could really just be seen as a poor man's LG Prada.

[El in AZ @ May 15th 2007 11:23PM]

Don't be a d!ck, Carlo.

Apple won't release a 2.5G phone in Europe and has all but said as much. Why assume the same phone they're releasing next month in the U.S. is the one they'll release in Europe months later?

Different markets. Different hardware.

Now go play with your Prada. I love that monochrome screen and Flash OS. Truly cutting edge, Carlo.

[stephane @ May 16th 2007 6:06AM]

I dont see the iphone doing very well in the UK at all. Our market is dominated by SonyEriccson and Nokia and for good reason.

[greenlight @ May 16th 2007 8:52AM]

The whole concept of a "Europe exclusive carrier" is ridiculous. Apple are way to stuck on the american cell market model, which is horrible.

[stephane @ May 16th 2007 10:20AM]

I agree greenlight. Apple shouldnt even be thinking of a european market as technically there isnt one. What T-mobile, Vodafone, Orange etc do in one country has no bearing on the market in another.

Apple should offer the iphone to the all the major operators in europe as thats how it works here.

[Inside man @ May 16th 2007 10:57AM]

Tmobile in the uk will almost certainly form the back drop for a Apple MVNO.

Tied in with your itunes account the use of t-mobiles wi fi hotspots and of course the web'n'walk unlimted data plan.

Selling the iphone bundled with its own MVNO gives apple the control they want too.

[YukonDawg @ May 16th 2007 11:00AM]

I'm still *SO* over the fact that they have to have an exclusive carrier at all--and that I would have to switch to Craptakular, err AT&T to get one.

[Nick @ May 16th 2007 3:27PM]

Im not a cell phone geek and dont know all that much about it... but whats the likely hood a Tmobile user here in the US being able to get a European iPhone to use on the US network and it working?

[iRobot @ May 22nd 2007 2:45PM]

You should be able to use the American Version of the iPhone, on T-Mobile right here in America. Don't listen to Cingular's (AT&T's) LIES! iPhone is a Quad-based phone, which includes the 1900 band -- That's T-Mobile's Band.

See, AT&T is counting on the fact that people are stupid, and don't research information BEFORE the drop $500 bucks on electronics (and gerenally speaking - they're right). But, reguardless of that fact -- the iPhone will STILL work on T-Mobile's network, weather AT&T likes it or not.

Just buy the phone from the Apple Store, swap-out your sim card and bingo! You have a new Apple Phone WITHOUT this ridiculous "2 year extortion contract" (That you didn't want in the first place). So when AT&T gives you that -- only OUR NETWORK BS -- tell them to BITE YOUR ASS, because you know the truth.

[ryan10ad @ May 16th 2007 1:45PM]

Currently in the UK The latest phones are the Sony Ericsson K800i, or (in my opinion) the Nokia N95. But if the iPhone was to be launch in Europe, I think T-Mobile is a good partner. Due to their Web'n'walk technology. Fast speeds and more importantly the only UK Provider to let you go on the whole internet. Unlike the Walled garden Vodafone Live. (Also T-Mobile outlines that when you are on your laptop, you can use Skype,

[Robbie @ May 16th 2007 6:58PM]

@ 10. it probably wouldnt work. they use different frequencies, unless theirs also comes out quad-band. and if its subsidy locked, then it wouldnt work even if it was quad-band. even though its all "tmobile", they are different carriers as far as the network id is concerned. (a US sim card wouldnt work.)

[JP @ May 23rd 2007 9:39AM]

That's what I thought, iRobot -- that you could use it on T-Mobile in the united states if it worked with Cingular. But I know little about wireless tech, so I wasn't certain. Does anyone have a better idea?

[Alex @ May 23rd 2007 10:34PM]

You can't just put your sim card in another carries phone unless said phone is unlocked. But since the majority of phones are able to be unlocked you can usually get it done(prices to get unlocked are like 20-30) But I wouldn't be surprised that Apple has some code in the OS or something preventing it though, or at least making it WAY more difficult than others. I hope you can get it unlocked though.

[phits @ Jun 6th 2007 6:20PM]

I have tmobile and my dad works in Germany. I wonder if I have him buy an iPhone, and just send him my current phone. If it will work here in the states with email, and web browsing etc. ???

[Hiro @ Nov 27th 2007 4:30PM]

Unlocking an iphone is fully possible!! a friend of me got it done for 200 norwegian kroner(40 bucks)and then it was unlocked..i tried my operator aswell, worked fine.. u can get unlocked iphones on eBay for the same price as on the apple webstore, but you should find a trusted seller or you might get scammed^^

Good luck all

xD