T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom’s wireless unit, sold more than 10,000 iPhone contracts on the first day on November 9, 2007.
The iPhone subscribers will have to sign a two year service contract with Orange with a monthly rental of E49 to get a phone for E399, said Didier Lombard, chief executive at France Telecom in an interview to Europe1 radio. He also said the subscription will include 50 text messages a month and unlimited access to internet. The tariff for a 12-month contract will cost E53.5.
Complying to the French law which required companies to make unlocked phones available, France Telecom also plans to offer an unlocked version of the handset for a price less than being offered by Germany’s T-Mobile. According to the company, the rates for the unlocked phones would be announced with the launch.
Apple has sold 1.4m handsets between June and September 2007 in US through stores and AT&T. However, its lack of 3G capabilities and delayed launch helped French competitors, Vivendi and Bouygues Telecom, to launch mobiles with 3G plus access.
Source: ComputerWire daily updates
