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Join Chad and Rene for 2 billion apps, Tweetie 2 and TomTom pricing, the latest on the iTablet and Light Peak, AT&T MMS redux, Orange and Vodafone UK, plus your questions! Listen in!

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb Presents: iPhone Live! #69 — Two Billion Served!

Vodafone has just announced that they will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK and Ireland in Early 2010.

This comes on the heels of a similar announcement by Orange UK, and means iPhone users across the pond will soon have 3 carriers battling it out for their love and data affection. And hopefully prices will reflect that.

So, UK readers, with O2, Orange, and Vodafone all on the table, who’re you going to go with?

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Vodafone UK, Ireland Also to Start Offering iPhone in Early 2010

No sooner does T-Mo Austria pre-post an iPhone 32GB SKU then Vodafone Australia sees them and raises the dreaded End-of-Life (EOL) on the iPhone 16GB. MacTalk says:

Why is this interesting to us? Well it just adds further fuel to the fire that there will be a new iPhone very, very soon. What mixes us up is the fact the 8GB isn’t EOL, but the 16GB is. Perhaps a 32GB and 8GB model will be around, the 8GB being the value option for the price conscious set.

Our bet is that the 16GB will be replaced with a 16GB next gen iPhone, joined by a 32GB model. Whether the 8GB iPhone 3G becomes the low-end option or not is anyone’s guess…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Raining Rumors: Vodafone Australia Saying “Eru!” to iPhone 16GB

A couple days ago we mentioned that Orange UK might be in the running to become the second (after O2) carrier to get the iPhone in the United Kingdom. Today comes word that Vodafone (think of it as Verizon with a fancy accent and GSM goodness) may also be splitting the Isles wide open. According to Mobile Tech Addicts:

Now we have discovered a Vodafone portal designed for the iPhone. It is basically a portal that gives you access to news but the question is why would Vodafone go to these lengths if they weren’t about to get the iPhone.

The site points out that, of course, it could just be a smart move from Vodafone to woo unlocked, or soon to be unlocked, iPhone owners off O2 and onto their pipes.

Time will tell, but for our UK readers, is Vodafone a better option for you than O2 or Orange UK?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3G in the UK: Vodafone Getting in on the Action?

Back in January, before iPhone 3.0 made MMS an impending feature for all (carrier depending!), Jose sent us word that Vodafone Portugal had launched their own iMMS app. Well, now Jose is back and so is Vodafone Portugal.. with Mobile TV:

an application to watch TV from the iPhone. The download is free but after that you have to pay a subscription. One day is 0,89€, one week is 1,97€ (first week free), one month is 7,44€ (first month free).

So is this another case of a carrier leading where Apple will one day soon follow? They have announced new live streaming capabilities in 3.0…

Screen shots after the break.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Vodafone Portugal Launches Mobile TV App

Reader Jose wrote in to tell us that MMS has finally come to the iPhone! Er… Sorta:

since yesterday, vodafone Portugal has a MMS app for the iPhone! It looks like the mail app and it works very well! It’s awesome, you can send and recieve MMS.. but it only works on iPhones from vodafone Portugal! It’s called iMMS!

We’ve heard about European-localized iPhone MMS apps before, but this appears to be the first on to actually become officially available [iTunes Portugal App Store Link].

Full screenshot gallery after the break, but we gotta ask: anyone here want a version for their country?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iMMS Comes to the iPhone… in Portugal!

We told you when iPhone 2.0.1 dropped, we asked you how 2.0.1 was doing for you? And we warned iPwners to stay away. Turns out people running on Vodafone (in the 10 countries they currently supply) might want to consider staying away for now as well. TUAW reports on the problems:

Specifically, users who paid to have their 3G iPhones unlocked by Vodafone* are unable to re-connect to the service following the update, and instead receive a “0xE8000001″ error message. How helpful. It seems to happen on both Windows and Mac OS X.

Another problem, via iPhoneAtlas, occurs when users try to upgrade when in the radio-silent Airplane Mode:

Having Airplane mode turned on can result in a non-functional phone when the update is applied. You may receive the error message: “Information for activation cannot be obtained from the iPhone” Fortunately, you can disable Airplane mode from the emergency screen if your iPhone is put into an inactivated state by a problematic update.

If you do get 2.0.1 installed (and I confess, mine installed quickly and flawlessly), what will you find under the hood?

Apple said “bug fixes”, which seems to include fixes to sluggish interface animations/transitions and app launches in general (especially Contacts and SMS). Some are claiming faster backups, more stable App Store app behavior, and better or more accurate cell strength and GPS placement. And others have even joked that, like a placebo, we’ll see any update as a general purpose cure-all for what’s been aggravating us.

Have you noticed any specific, repeatable improvements? Keep pounding away and let us know what you find!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 2.0.1: What’s Changed, Vodafone Woes, and Watch out for Airplane Mode!

WOW! iPhone plans and prices are dropping faster than Rogers stock these days. With a 22 country launch on Friday (and a few days later in France — vive la difference, eh?), some with multiple co-exclusive carriers, each with different tiers of service (from cheap, all-you-can-eat unlimited to tiny $$$ per byte ultra-rip-offs) it’s a lot to keep track of — but we’re still going to try!

Read on for the good, the bad, and a lot of ugly!

Rogers/Fido Canada – WAR!

On the Canadian front (and yes, it is a war here people!) rumors of an Apple/Rogers falling out are probably going to fall out. My guess? Nothing much there unless Rogers is fanning the scarcity flame in order to get people who might be sitting on the fence or holding it to suddenly panic and rush the line on Friday. Apple Stores in Canada, unlike the US, have only pointed to Rogers/Fido for availability, and if Apple is sending units away from Canada to Europe, it may have more to do with the power of the Euro. (Nintendo’s been accused of doing that with the Wii for months to profit from the stronger currency).

Telcel Mexico

2 year contracts south of south of the border in Mexico as well: MX$459/599/799 for 200/300/400 min., 100/150/200 SMS and MBs of data, with the 8GB handset going for MX$3419/2159/889 and the 16GB for MX$4689/3419/2159.

Ayaiyai! That’s US$77 for a tiny 200MB!

Vodafone New Zealand

The good news? Due to the international date line, New Zealand will be getting the iPhone first and Hawaii last. In Aukland, New Zealand, the lineup is already forming to be the first (after a certain Portuguese un-boxer) to get the blessed device.

The bad news? They’ll be paying out the pouch for it. 2 year contracts for NZ$80/130/250 for 120/250/600 min., 600 SMS, and 250/500/1000MB of data and 8GB handsets for NZ$549/449/199 and 16GB for NZ$699/599/359.

Ouch! That’s US$189 for 1GB of data! Once again, the closer you are to a pole, the higher your prices!

Optimus Portugal

Thanks to Mário for sending this in!

Optimus (Orange) in Portugal has pre-paid, post-paid monthly, and 2-year contract prices. Contract minimum monthly usage plans are €30/45/64 which get you €0.149/0.129/0.099 per minute or SMS, 100/300/500 free in-network SMS, and MB of data, with the 8GB handset running €250/200/150 and 16GB, €350/300/250.

Vodafone Portugal

Meanwhile, Vodaphone is offering the Portuguese 2 year contracts as well: €29.90/44.90/64.90, with 100/230/500 min. and SMS, and a miserly 250MB of data, with an 8GB handset going for €299/219/129 and 16GB for €389/309/219.

Yikes! That’s US$102 for 250MB?!

AT&T USA

AT&T Mobility’s President of Network Services has his own podcast where he goes over iPhone 3G performance. Check it out.

And while nowhere near as hackneyed as the iReady riff, Apple has posted its own information on how to prepare yourself for launch day.

Apple’s VP of Retail, Ron Johnson, tried to set expectations: he claims they’ll be taking 30 customers at a time, be able to handle 100 customers an hour, and aim to complete activation in 10-15 min. But they won’t rush you if you want to take your time (though the crowd behind you, torches and pitchforks in hand, might help keep you moving at a brisk pace!)

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3G International Roundup! USA, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, Portugal!

In sharp contrast to how the North Americans have started off, the Europeans (yup, including the UK) seem to be handling the whole iPhone 3G “second coming” with a lot more grace and — frankly — customer care. Witness Vodafone on the iPhone in Italy:

The 3G iPhone will be available to both contract customers, based on particularly simple price plans, and to pay-as-you-go users, and will include a wide range of data offerings. By choosing a contract price plan, such as iPhone Vodafone Facile, it will be possible, for example, to have an Apple phone at a particularly attractive price. People preferring a pre-pay plan for private users can buy the 8Gb iPhone for €499 or the 16GB model for €569.

Sure, the unsubsidized option sound expensive (around $750 for people on the left side of the pond) — but at least they’re giving it as an option! (AT&T, Rogers, look and learn!)

Meanwhile, Vodafone’s co-exclusive Italian iPhone 3G carrier, Telecom Italia and Apple have thus far announced the following:

Telecom Italia will be selling the 8GB and 16GB models of iPhone 3G to prepaid and contract customers. Telecom Italia will also be selling iPhone 3G with the “Tutto Compreso” [all included] package tailored to meet customers’ needs.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3G in Italy: Pre-Order Now, No Contract Needed!

Figures. Right after I go to all the trouble of cut and pasting together an April iPhone Risk Roundup, Vodafone goes ahead and announces 10 more countries, more than doubling the amount of countries having, or set to have, the iPhone! Apple Insider goes on locations:

“Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network,” the carrier said in a statement without providing further detail.

A look at our newly overpopulated score board:

Vodofone, of course, owns Verizon in the US, which is rumored to have taken a pass on Apple’s iPhone, leading to the current AT&T exclusivity deal. Back with a vengeance much?

Like the Canadian detail-free announcement from Rogers, it’s also likely these deals will involve the as-yet-unannounced-but-widely-expected 3G iPhone, though given the rest of the world’s 3G-centricity, it certainly should. Also unknown is whether these will be the exclusive deals involving revenue sharing and pressure towards unlimited data plans Apple pioneered with the initial iPhone launch last year.

What do you think?

(PS – Apple, help a blogger out and release more of your little flag circle icons. Those things don’t Photoshop themselves, b’okay?)

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone Risk: And Then There Were 17!