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Orange Loses iPhone Exclusivity in France

Wednesday December 17, 2008 11:52 am PST by Arnold Kim
Apple must allow other mobile carriers to sell the iPhone 3G in France based on a ruling today.

The decision overturns an exclusive arrangement with Apple that has allowed Orange to be the iPhone's exclusive distributor in France since the phone was launched last year.

Orange does not believe the decision will affect agreements in other countries. Bouygues Telecom "welcomed" the ruling and plans to sell the iPhone shortly.
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bizzaregood
Posted: 41 months ago
It would be nice if this was worldwide and got rid of the need for yellowsn0w. but i doubt it will happen anywhere else.
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beon
Posted: 41 months ago
We'll see how this goes... I wonder if other carriers will exnay the visual voicemail? I like to believe there's a reason :apple::apple::apple: is so tight about its partnerships. And I'm pretty damn sure the french gov't doesn't know more about telecom than Apple + Orange. We'll see!
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roger6106
Posted: 41 months ago
Hopefully this will make officially unlocked iPhones available in the US without a contract.
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PlaceofDis
Posted: 41 months ago

Hopefully this will make officially unlocked iPhones available in the US without a contract.


why would a ruling in another country affect Apple's business practices in the US? the mind boggles.
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bigjnyc
Posted: 41 months ago

why would a ruling in another country affect Apple's business practices in the US? the mind boggles.


I think he meant unlocked iphones from France making their way to the US, like being sold on ebay or something.
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david803sc
Posted: 41 months ago

I think he meant unlocked iphones from France making their way to the US, like being sold on ebay or something.


Actually he said "official", a ruling in france has no bearing in the US or any other country, and besides the ruling only says other carriers have to be able to sell the Phone that DOES NOT mean they have to sell it unlocked or even without a contract, so it may not even help ebay sales, but I guess one could hope.
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Harpo
Posted: 41 months ago

Actually he said "official", a ruling in france has no bearing in the US or any other country, and besides the ruling only says other carriers have to be able to sell the Phone that DOES NOT mean they have to sell it unlocked or even without a contract, so it may not even help ebay sales, but I guess one could hope.


I think by "official" he meant officially in France. Doesn't seem too Apple-like to sell an unlocked one, though.
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roger6106
Posted: 41 months ago

I think by "official" he meant officially in France. Doesn't seem too Apple-like to sell an unlocked one, though.


Exactly. I know that you can purchase ones that have been unlocked, but there is no guarantee that future software updates won't break that. If Apple is forced to sell the iPhone through other carriers in France they might end up selling officially unlocked iPhones, which would then make it to the US.
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bytethese
Posted: 41 months ago
What's to stop Apple from simply not selling the iPhone in France any longer?

Seems like a move Apple might make. "We can't have just one carrier in France? Ok, how about no carrier then, we'll take our business elsewhere..."
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Badandy
Posted: 41 months ago
What socialists (the French). Apple can't even choose who they do and do not want to do business with in that effed up country.
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