T-Mobile customers in Germany are waltzing in the streets today. Earlier this morning Steve Jobs announced an exclusive partnership with Deutsch Telekom (T-Mobile), bringing iPhone to Germany starting November 9. Pricing is set at €399, but one of my readers in Germany, Jonathan Marcialis, sent news (with photo) that several shops in Germany are already advertising iPhone now for €899 ($1,200). Mein Gott!
Bloody hell! Steve Jobs took the stage early this morning, I mean REAL early for those living on this side of the international dateline. As expected he finally pulled back the kimono on the Eurorpean iPhone model. The big surprise? It’s not 3G! EDGE only. Didn’t see that coming, especially when considering the fact that 3G is far more ubiquitous in the UK and European markets. In fact, less than one quarter of O2 customers are on EDGE. Blimey!
Other news to come out of this event; the UK iPhone will land on November 9. Apple will launch it’s iTunes WiFi store later this month and preload the software on iPhone shortly thereafter. Realy quite a non-event, what? Quite.
Reuters reports that German mobile operator Deutsche Telekom has signed an exclusive agreement with Apple, bringing iPhone to the land of bier and lederhosen. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed, but according to one source an announcement from both sides will come as early as next week.
Neither company is offering comments at this time, but when asked by reporters whether a partnership had been reached, a press agent for T-Mobile clicked his heals together, raised one arm in solute, and shouted “Jawohl!”.
So there you have it. Willkommen zur Partei, Deutschland!
Hello, Wellington? Are you there, it’s Hawkins. Ah good. Say, listen old bean…I was just watching the telly and apparently Apple is staging some kind of press event next Tuesday. They’ve sent us an invitation. Could have something to do with that silly iPhone thing those bloody Americans keep going on about, I expect. Yes, his lordship, Sir Jobs is on full form at these events so I’m told. Should be good for a laugh I suppose. Do lets attend. Excellent, I’ll see you there.
Cheerio, Governor, pip pip and all that rot.
From the Department of Duh comes word that Apple’s recent $200 price drop on the popular 8GB iPhone has led to a sharp increase in sales. Now I know that news will knock my readers over like bowling pins, but do try and steady yourselves.
Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster conducted a 50 hour survey of Apple Stores (I assume the poor guy took a break sometime) compiling concurrent sales data - cause that’s what bean counters do. He came away with less than surprising results; iPhone sales are up, w00t! He reckons that Apple sold 27,000 units per day within a five day period in order to arrive at its ballyhooed 1 million unit milestone. Not bad sales performance, what.
So, yes…iPhone is selling well. The sky is blue. Birds are singing. People are hanging out in Central Park, joining hands in harmonious celebration. Whatever.
If Apple’s recent $200 8GB iPhone price drop didn’t cause enough fiasco, the arrival of a 3G empowered model by Christmas will have iRate iPhone fans carrying torches and pitchforks.
Forward Concepts analyst Will Strauss believes that backdoor licensing agreements between Apple and 3G hardware makers gives strong indication the fruity phone maker will drop a 3G model down our chimneys by December.
He goes on to say that such a device has been in development in Santa Steve’s workshop for several months. In Strauss’s estimation the time is ripe. Alright, I’ll go along with that.
Got your blood boiling yet? No, well how about this: said 3G model will be destined to Europe…not the U.S. Merry Christmas.
Humor site BBspot threw down the oven mitt today, mocking Apple’s recent decision to credit early iPhone adopters. Editor Brian Briggs made a comical, if poignant, news blurb announcing that Apple is making a similar compensatory deal with previous owners of Apple’s long forgotten PC, the Lisa.
Insulting and entertaining at the same time. I love it.
Sales of drool buckets are sharply on the rise today. iPhoneSIMfree, the controversial website that has long promised to release a fully software-based unlock solution for iPhone, has delivered the goods. Their website has been revamped and relaunched as an online store complete with resellers and affiliate partners worldwide. Gadget fans the world over can now join the great global iHumping experience.
Now before you go running through the streets in your undies, again, this is not a free solution. And membership into the gentlemen’s club of iUsers won’t come cheap - here in the US, Wireless Imports will be charging $99 per software license. Ouch!
But hey, maybe you can apply that $100 coupon Steve is handing out? Ooh, sorry…that was below the belt.
Apple unveiled a new press release, they’ve just sold their one millionth phone. It’s worthwhile to note that Jobs tends to set easily achievable goals so that they can be demolished. He wouldn’t want to eke by on the “million phones by the end of September” thing on Sept. 28th, that’s not news. If he’s sold one million phones by the 10th instead of the 30th, then he’s 20 days ahead of schedule. And then you think, “Oh, the iPhone must be selling really well.” And that’s just one aspect of his Reality Distortion Field. At any rate, the press release is after the break.
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. Rebels. Round pegs in square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of Treos. And they have no respect for BlackBerries.
You can quote them. Disagree with them. Glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they flash their iPhones in your face constantly, trying to impress everyone around them.
So while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see suckers genius. Because the ones who are crazy enough to spend $600 for a phone…just might be crazy enough to convince others to do the same.
  
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The iPhone Blog merged with the Phone different site in May of 2008. Both sites were founded on a premise that comes one from one of Apple's old slogans: Think different. The iPhone Blog: for people who dare to phone different.
