New Delhi, September 29: After Orange, Vodafone too has joined the ranks of mobile service providers who offer iPhones on their platforms. Vodafone has struck a deal with Apple to sell iPhones in the U.K. and Ireland from early next year, said a brief company statement Tuesday in London.
Vodafone customers in the U.K. and Ireland can register for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS on its Web site now although the company will be selling the iPhone from early 2010 only. However, Orange will roll out iPhones on its platform before Christmas. Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile operator has not yet revealed pricing, tariffs and availability details.
Already, for the last few months, T-Mobile has been selling iPhones in UK and O2 has offered subsidized iPhone models and network support to date. Apple is busy peddling its flagship phone to operators across the globe. At the same time, the US company continues to wield its power over carriers in the form of a share of user revenue as well as control over the pricing.
Operators have had to abandon their demand for exclusivity of iPhone sales, for Apple is confident that iPhone’s popularity would prompt operators to give in. O2 and Apple have benefited from the exclusive deal in terms of increase in sales, customer base etc. The iPhone deal helped O2 surge past Vodafone in subscriber numbers to become the No.1 network in UK.
With exclusivity gone in the wake of the deals with Orange and Vodafone, prices are expected to spiral down.
Vodafone, based in UK is world’s second largest mobile operator in the world with 303 million customers in 31 markets across the globe.
—Agencies