European telecomm O2 is expecting 200,000 iPhone sold in the UK by the end of the year while analysts expect up to 400,000 in the next few months. It’s this news that buoyed O2′s hopes in Europe and made everyone — including big Steve — purdy happy. The real takeaway, however, is that O2 will be carrying the 3G iPhone in Europe. O 2 has signed a multi-year deal with Apple for the iPhone and Mr Key insists Vodafone, for example, could not muscle in and take the 3G iPhone in the UK. I’m sure Vodafone or T-Mo could grab the contract if they wanted to, but I suspect the iPhone will go unlocked in its next gen form, ensuring everybody gets to try that sweet, sweet Apple pie. iPhone take-up the key as O2 targets Europe [FT] → Read More
The BBC visited five UK-based Carphone Warehouse stores to see if rumors were true concerning customers being told that if they didn’t buy insurance on their iPhone and they happened to lose it somewhere, it would cost them at least £630 and a whole new contract to replace it. While it’s true that they’d have to buy a new phone, the 18-month contract would not start over. → Read More
O2 is reporting that they sold “tens of thousands” of iPhones over the weekend, which means that tens of thousands of Brits are wandering the streets with mini-computers as we speak. O2 is very please and believes this is in line with expectations. As there are only twenty thousand people in Britain at any one time — they’re too polite to push onto the island so most of them stay on Ibiza until it’s their turn to come back — this means the majority of the population owns an iPhone. Excellent work, O2! iPhone sales are in line with expectations, says O2 chief [Guardian] → Read More
Do you live in London like Pete Doherty and have an iPod Touch? Well then! Leave that pipe at home and head out into the streets baby, ’cause you’ve got yourself some WiFi for that iPod Touch thanks to The Cloud. A new plan called Cloud Unlimited Music will be available today for £3.99 or ~$8 and allows iPod Touch users to access the internet as much as they want. Basically, it’s a pretty sweet deal. Thinking of getting an iPhone when it comes out on O2? Well go ahead and get one, ’cause The Cloud and O2 have partnered to offer you the same damn plan for the same price. If only us Americans could get iPhone WiFi plans for $8 bucks a month. Sheesh. The Cloud offers Wi-Fi access for iPod touch users [iLounge] → Read More
So, when is the UK getting the Apple iPhone? British mobile provider O2 continues to flirt with the iPhone, dropping little hints here and there that it will be the UK home for Apple’s cellphone++. Apparently, the company’s CEO mentioned, you know, just casually, that the iPhone will help the company “maintain momentum” as it heads into the remainder of the year. Then, immediately afterwards, O2 denied that it actually won the coveted iPhone contract. Loose lips sink ships. → Read More
Apparently the iPhone will be hitting European shores in Q4, instead of Q3 as some had guessed. Bad news for our pals across the pond who are waiting for Cupertino’s latest and greatest. But hey, you guys get plenty of cool phones before we do and by Q4 we’ll probably all be in flying cars anyway and you’ll have forgotten all about the iPhone! Steve Jobs thinks that Apple will sell its millionth iPhone by the end of the fourth quarter. It’s unknown whether or not he’s factoring in European buyers but those sales certainly couldn’t hurt. Apple Discusses European iPhone Release [PCWorld.com/Yahoo! News] → Read More
After a 30-percent overall increase in the months leading up to the iPhone release, Apple’s stock has continued to climb since last Friday. They’ve now hit their all-time high stock price, trading for as much as $132.97 on Nasdaq. AT&T, on the other hand, closed down 1.3 percent (54 cents) and has seen a slight loss over the last few months. So Tuesday Apple’s stock was $122, Wednesday the markets were closed, and Thursday the stock’s up to $132. Incredible. Investors have a lot of faith in Apple, not so much in AT&T. Picture the star athlete from your high school days: a true champion, a man’s man, always pulling through no matter what the odds against him. That’s Apple. Now imagine the star athlete’s dad: a washed-up insurance salesman that never really left high school, reliving his glory days vicariously through his son. That’s AT&T. Except in this scenario, the son can switch families after 5 years and has a much cooler, faster dad in Europe. Apple shares at new high on iPhone sales prospects [Reuters] → Read More
There’s really not too much to say about this heretofore unseen Helen cellphone from O2. I could say that it sorta has an HTC-like vibe to it, but that could be just because it’s running WinMo 6 like the Wing. I could also say that its 3G-nessm, which includes UMTS, is impressive, but that’s only true because I’m an American whose country has the worst cellphone networks in the Developed World. Or perhaps I could mention that the built-in Wi-Fi, to a point, makes the 3G irrelevant when it comes out in Asia later this year. But that would be boring, and I don’t want to do that to you. Helen Info [CE4Arab via Electronista] → Read More
For our readers on the other side of the pond, we have some lovely news for you. Seems O2 has unveiled its latest music phone, the Cocoon. It’s a white clamshell with a “sleek and stylish” design, dedicated music buttons on the side, quad-band GSM with 3G, and 2GB of on-board memory. Sounds pretty luxurious so far. But it gets better. O2 has included a microSD slot so you can upgrade your music library even further. There’s also Bluetooth and FM Radio for you feature-hungry freaks. Photographers will enjoy the 2-megapixel camera included as well. The Cocoon will be available to O2 customers for £129 or £299 if you do that pre-pay thang. O2 unwraps Cocoon music phone [Reg Hardware] → Read More
The German WinMo fanboys are raising their steins following the announcement that O2 are shipping the first WinMo 6 smartphone, Xda Terra. Apparently the Xda “referenced” the HTC Herald in every way possible. Those unfamiliar with the Herald features needn’t worry because I’ve got you covered. The WinMo 6 smartphone sports quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE, W-Lan, Bluetooth 2.0, 2-megapixel camera and a slide-out keyboard. That is super fantastique! The Xda Terra is currently available for order from the O2 Germany site and prices start at €79.99 with a two year contract, which, I think, is worth it considering the phone is selling for €519.99 without a contract. Das is good jah? O2 Germany starts Selling and Shipping the first WM 6 Professional smartphone [The Unwired] → Read More
Occasionally, a phone hits the networks across the sea that’s so badass that none of our pop-culture references or childish hyperbole can do it justice of any kind. One such device is the Flame from Germany’s O2 network. We like the BlackJack, we like the Treos, we like smartphones, but this sucker belongs in its own category. Geniusphone, perhaps, as there is nothing this monster lacks. So instead of describing how rock-solid and drool-worthy it is, we’re just going to give you the specs and let you work it out on your own. Pay attention, and feel free to take notes. → Read More
To be honest, we like candybar-shaped phones more than we like clamshells or sliders. Maybe it’s a layover from using cordless phones back in the 80s and 90s. Either way, this “Ice” phone from European carrier O2 looks mighty sexy to our eyes. Possibly taking design cues from the Netgear and Belkin Skype phones, this O2 cell has a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and MP3 support. It will be out in September in the UK, but just like with western civilization, America needs to wait its turn. Unveiled: O2 Ice! [Gadget Candy via Gizmodo] → Read More
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