Apple iPhone hits O2 in the UK on November 9th

Ending months of intense, practically insane speculation, Apple just confirmed its first European carrier for the iPhone: O2 is scoring exclusive UK rights to the hotly contested device, and will be launching it on November 9th for £269 including VAT. Unlimited data comes standard with the £35, £45 and £55 voice plans, which include 200, 600 and 1200 minutes, respectively, and 200 SMS for the cheapest plan, but 500 messages for the other two. Just like the rumors (finally) predicted, Carphone Warehouse is being pulled in to beef up retail presence for O2, with 1300 retail locations, each with an "expert" on the iPhone. Naturally, Apple's not doing anything fancy here, and is announcing the same old EDGE phone we know and love here in the States -- shattering the 2007 3G pipe dreams of millions of Europeans -- but has made up for it slightly by scoring free WiFi for O2 iPhone users at the 7,500 hotspots serviced by Cloud in the UK. Those hotspots will certainly come in handy when trapesing through O2's EDGE-deficient network -- only 30% of the country will be covered by launch time. Of course, if you aren't keen on Visual Voicemail or Apple's blessing, there are certainly plenty of unlocked iPhones to be had between now and launch.

[Thanks, Josh for the O2 link]

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 18th 2007 10:02AM]

.....theres 0 comments?! wth O_O normally this place is filled with what I call "appleists", it sounds like terrorists an they're just as dangerous.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 18th 2007 11:58AM]

I don't think Europeans liek Apple products so this isn't really news.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 18th 2007 8:18PM]

We DO like Apple products, just don't like or think much of the iPhone as it's crap, far far far better and cheaper phones floaded in the UK market as it is and most with 3G.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 19th 2007 11:01AM]

ok ok, so o2 covers lots of the uk... so do the other networks! So far, most of the blog/comment entries on the net have pointed out that what uk users are after is graded costing of a phone, like most are already, and a normal choice of plans. All o2 have done to secure this is ignore their customers, and go with what apple and at&t have done in the u.s. No wonder t-mobile haven't got it, why would they? They have great deals on internet usage, faster than edge, and nearly every phone for every tariff!
The iphone is an ipod with a phone, not a phone with an mp3 player like others, so should be sold in the uk as such! Sim free???? That's the way we do it in the uk!
Most users here buy their phones and use a pay as you go tariff, they spend lots of money updating their phones often! That's a huge market to risk losing! The americans don't do the same, so the at&t deal kinda works!
Then again, you can't link it to a laptop via bluetooth, so the phone bit doesn't work for most people, who uses a phone as a 'phone' these days??
For me, it's gonna be an ipod touch, and i'll just get a cheap phone with bluetooth for my ' phone' stuff!