Apples 3G iPhone, which goes on sale July 11, is reportedly attracting four times the interest in Britain than the original iPhone.
O2, the exclusive carrier for smartphone in the United Kingdom, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that more than 130,000 people have preregistered for the latest model since its unveiling a week ago at Apples Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Only 35,000 people had preregistered for the original iPhone between its unveiling in the United Kingdom on Sept. 18 and when it went on sale Nov. 9, the company told the newspaper.
The higher interest is important if Apple is to reach or exceed its goal of selling 10 million iPhones this year. Apple is hoping the 3G iPhone will jump-start lagging sales outside the United States, particularly in European and Asian countries.
Among the factors that dampened enthusiasm for the first iPhone in the United Kingdom was its high price of about $526. In addition, the older model could only access carriers slower networks, which meant Web surfing was pokey in comparison to rivals phones.
Ronan Dunne, chief executive for O2 in the United Kingdom, told the Telegraph that the price of the original iPhone had been "an issue for some segments of the market."
With the 3G iPhone, Apple has addressed both problems. Besides accessing faster networks, the new model is much cheaper. In the United States, the 3G iPhone starts at $199 for 8 GB of storage with a two-year service contract. In the United Kingdom, O2 says it will offer the device at no charge on some contracts.
Carriers are willing to subsidize the new iPhone because users of the smartphone generally spend more on average on their mobile bills than non-iPhone users. Nevertheless, getting a free phone from O2 will not be cheap. Customers will have to choose a service plan that costs at least $88 a month.
See original article on InformationWeek.com
O2, the exclusive carrier for smartphone in the United Kingdom, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that more than 130,000 people have preregistered for the latest model since its unveiling a week ago at Apples Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Only 35,000 people had preregistered for the original iPhone between its unveiling in the United Kingdom on Sept. 18 and when it went on sale Nov. 9, the company told the newspaper.
The higher interest is important if Apple is to reach or exceed its goal of selling 10 million iPhones this year. Apple is hoping the 3G iPhone will jump-start lagging sales outside the United States, particularly in European and Asian countries.
Among the factors that dampened enthusiasm for the first iPhone in the United Kingdom was its high price of about $526. In addition, the older model could only access carriers slower networks, which meant Web surfing was pokey in comparison to rivals phones.
Ronan Dunne, chief executive for O2 in the United Kingdom, told the Telegraph that the price of the original iPhone had been "an issue for some segments of the market."
With the 3G iPhone, Apple has addressed both problems. Besides accessing faster networks, the new model is much cheaper. In the United States, the 3G iPhone starts at $199 for 8 GB of storage with a two-year service contract. In the United Kingdom, O2 says it will offer the device at no charge on some contracts.
Carriers are willing to subsidize the new iPhone because users of the smartphone generally spend more on average on their mobile bills than non-iPhone users. Nevertheless, getting a free phone from O2 will not be cheap. Customers will have to choose a service plan that costs at least $88 a month.
See original article on InformationWeek.com
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