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AFX News Limited
Telefonica's 02 reaches exclusive accord with Apple on iPhone in UK - report
07.13.07, 2:33 AM ET
MADRID (Thomson Financial) - Telefonica SA's O2 mobile phone unit has reached an agreement to become the exclusive network partner for Apple Inc's iPhone in the UK, Negocio reported, citing unnamed sources close to the agreement.
Telefonica (nyse: TEF - news - people ) will invest around 178 mln stg to launch the phone in Britain and will begin sales 'shortly', the newspaper said.
According to a report in the Financial Times last week, Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) will limit iPhone's European launch this autumn to the UK, France and Germany and follow in other parts of Europe next year, when it will also launch in Asia.
tfn.europemadrid@thomson.com
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/07/13/afx3910584.html
USA Today: iPhone buyers have no regrets
By Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY
Early iPhone owners are overwhelmingly happy with their devices, a survey out Friday says, and Apple (AAPL)and AT&T (T) are luring customers from rivals as a result.
In one of the first such studies, 90% of 200 owners said they were "extremely" or "very" satisfied with their phone. And 85% said they are "extremely" or "very" likely to recommend the device to others, says the online survey conducted and paid for by market researcher Interpret of Santa Monica, Calif. The firm surveyed 1,000 cellphone users July 6-10.
The findings are "pretty much off the charts," says Jason Kramer, Interpret's chief strategy officer.
The firm's clients are in the entertainment and mobile industries.
Kelly Croy, a seventh-grade teacher in Oak Harbor, Ohio, is a happy buyer. "Overall, the coolest device I've ever owned," he says.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: AT | Apple | Santa Monica | Early | Piper Jaffray
Apple launched the combination cellphone, iPod music player and Internet gadget with much fanfare on June 29. AT&T is the exclusive service provider.
Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of worldwide marketing for the iPod and iPhone, said positive word-of-mouth reaction is "critically important" to any product, as it was with the iPod. "We're getting even greater reaction to the iPhone," he says.
Apple still faces challenges. The high cost of the two iPhone models — $499 and $599 — ranks as the No. 1 reason consumers interested in the device did not buy one, the survey says. Those consumers said they would pay an average of, at most, $180.
Owners said there's room for improvement. At the top of their wish list: longer battery life, faster Internet speed and more internal memory. Other factors, including the lack of a physical keyboard, were well down on their lists.
The iPhone is extending Apple's reach, the survey says. Three of 10 buyers were first-time Apple customers. For 40%, iPhone is their first iPod.
Apple could "change the physics in the phone market," if it is as successful building loyalty to the iPhone as it has been in the music and computer markets, says Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.
Interpret's survey also bodes well for AT&T. Half the buyers switched from another carrier. Of those, 35% paid an average $167 to break a contract. "We thought AT&T would be more of a barrier to entry," says Munster.
Another boon for AT&T: IPhone owners surveyed expect to pay about $35 more in monthly service fees compared with their previous cellphones.
Contributing: Jefferson Graham
Sales numbers,
I think they will make us wait until earnings, and then may only give us the figures for last quarter :).
I wonder how many have been ordered via the on-line store?
Ron
Bridgeport Village store:
Was by there this afternoon. They got in 10-12 phones this morning, sold out by noon. Are not getting new supply every day.
Phones ringing off the hooks every morning with people asking if they have iPhones in stock. Good amount of people in the store for a weekday early afternoon.
Are we getting rich yet?
Good day in the market today. Writing this from a bar whilst Kathy shops. Getting a little better at typing on this, but have not practicing much.
Later dudes and dudettes
OT: Was compelled
To put remaining cash in the IRA into REDF at 24.19 this morning.
Hope it works out all right, but sometimes big gains in other areas can make me reckless.
Cell phone makers
Does that mean Apple has gotten into a bad business ??
From Chas Cooper's column on CNET
I've seen lots of other smart phones, but nothing like this. When a colleague brought his newly purchased iPhone into the newsroom on Monday, a room full of otherwise hard-bitten reporters was reduced to a gushing scrum of starry-eyed goobers.
dilleet - not just coal
everything there is that gets used
gravel, line, nickel, copper, lead, molybdenum, silver, gold, hells bells, soon the earth will be nothing but a bunch of big holes in the ground, I tell you.
Dilleet - lots of mines
being built - lots of big-azz equipment there.
it has its own room :)
At doc office now. Have checked quotes, email and done other stuff. Very useful little tool this iPhone.
Yesterday afternoon I head out to the grocery store
iPhone clipped to my belt. As I head toward the door, I see two middle-aged guys standing in front of the door. From the parking lot it looks like they might be blocking the door.
When I got closer, I saw that each of them had an iPhone in the hands, and they were talking about the features. I said "I have to too", and pointed at my belt. We all laughed and I went in to shop.
WiFi redux
I don't use the phone at home much, don't gave WiFi in my building at work. I think I will wait for the software update that makes it work more like an Apple product than a Windows one :).
Thanks tomm
I have 128 bit WEP now - I'm going to go read the websites you provided
WiFi problems persist
I have an Airport Express network. When I disable security the iPhone hops right on it.
I have changed the password - I watch as I very carefully input the 13 character password - I am inputting it correctly, but I get the incorrect password message every time.
Sucks.
Suggestions / work arounds appreciated
Oh, Tomm, I RTFM, but will go back to it.
iPhone availability at Apple stores
Yesterday the iPhone was sold out at all but two of Apple's 164 retail stores (see here). Today, according to the company's online availability tool, it's back in stock at 44% of those stores.
How many of those iPhones are fresh from the factory and how many represent returns is unclear. The New York Times today reports that most of the customers who bought two iPhones hoping to sell one for a profit on eBay or Craigslist discovered that the iPhone resale market is flooded with product. Many are paying the 10% restocking fee and bringing the iPhones they hoped to sell back within the 14-day return period. (See "iPhone Futures Prove To Be a Bad Investment. ")
But the national pattern of availability suggests that a large shipment -- perhaps a plane load or two -- arrived overnight.
The distribution of iPhones is too uneven to represent random returns. Stores are still sold out across the West Coast -- from California to Washington -- whereas dozens of Apple outlets on the East Coast and Midwest show iPhones in stock. The flagship store on Fifth Ave. in Manhattan still has no phones, but 10 of the 12 other stores in New York state do, including the big SoHo emporium. All nine of New Jersey's stores show availablity, as do 8 out of 13 in Florida, 5 out of 6 in Massachusetts and 3 out of 6 in Maryland.
In general, it's the smaller outlets that tend to show units in stock. There are no iPhones at the big store in Cambridge, Mass., for example, but plenty in Braintree, Peobody and Hingham.
Of the two stores that had iPhones yesterday, one in Pittsburgh, Penn., and the other in Tigard, Oregon, only the Pittsburgh store still has iPhones this morning.
http://blogs.business2.com/apple/2007/07/apple-restocks-.html
From my iPhone
I love my iPhone. Maybe we will become codependent
I swear that is what I saw on the way to Damascus
When is the iPhone going to ship here?
St. Paul.
Stella
I am reaching via my iPhone. Reach out and touch some one :)
Ron
Took profits on some Jan 120 calls this morning - bought at 13.50 and 16.30 - sold at 21.80.
Before the sale I was 62% AAPL - this takes that down to 43%, so still pretty much overweight
iPhone Stocks Replenished Coast to Coast
Yesterday there were press reports (some say it was all hype) that the iPhone was sold out everywhere in the US except for Pittsburgh and Tigard, Oregon, but now we're hearing stocks are being quickly replenished all across the country this morning, where at least 74 stores have already shored up inventories for the weekend, making that about 50% of the stores now refilled.
Apple Store employees told us there was a tremendous supply of iPhones coming in "quite frequently," and now we're hearing that's the case almost everywhere this morning (California is still lagging behind, sold out almost all over the state). Take a look at a list of stores with plenty of iPhones, and give us your iPhone inventory reports in the comments.
gizmodo.com
The era of the PC is over: why Apple is beating Microsoft
* 6th July 2007
* Danny Gorog
* Apple, Software, Windows
The recent joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5 highlighted for me what makes Apple a great company, and why Microsoft continues to struggle on all fronts except Windows and Office.
and
Microsoft's approach is to add everything to a product - throw it all in and let the consumer work out what they want. Its business philosophy seems to follow the same path: let's do everything badly and hopefully something will be a winner.
Apple knows what to leave out - and that's where the skill is. That's why more and more consumers are choosing Apple.
When I think about the iPhone and compare it to Windows Mobile the difference is chalk and cheese. Windows Mobile is a sloppy product. No matter which way you slice it, it's still a complete disgrace.
and lots more here
http://apcmag.com/6357/understanding_your_strengths
Our alarm cat woke me up early this morning
Not being able to get back to sleep, I went to the web.
iPhones ordered right at 6:30 pm on the 29th of June are shipping, according to notes from the buyers.
I wonder how soon we'll get any reliable data on sales. I tend to go with the AT&T employee who talked about 1 million activations, but who knows, really.
I know that I like my iPhone. We'll be out of town next weekend, so it will be the first road trip with it. The colleagues I showed it to yesterday were wowed. One is an Apple person and was ready to be wowed - she is also a Blackberry user. She is more than ready to dump the BB. The two of then (the other being the Director of our office) played with it for 20 minutes or so. They really dug Safari, looking at our website on it etc...
Photos, phone, music, calendar, email all from the EDGE network - I think that there will be several iPhones bought between the 4 people who took it for a little test drive.
ok,
I have to respond via iPhone as well. These things are great!!
I love mine; so did my co-workers, who will soon be buying their own
Peace and love
Ron
Tex: re IRAs and options
do you mean quarters?
Nope, I meant so far in the second half of 2007, which started on July 1.
Our IRAs in with Fidelity. I did the online application a couple of years and do not remember precisely what I am allowed to do, but I know there are limits.
Second half 2007 performance
In the first half of 2007, our self managed IRAs were up 16%.
In the second half of 2007 our self managed IRAs are up 15.2%
What a difference a few options can make :).
I think it is going to be a great couple of years.
Just did the iPhone show and tell with 4 people at my office
Sounds like somewhere between 3 and 6 iPhone sales as a result.
Thorserb2 - Our calls are very different - yours are way out of the money and I do not have experience with calls that close in with strike prices that far away from the current share price.
I am planning on waiting for earnings in July and in October. Those plans could change.
Chasky: Now, please advise when to close my calls :)
Roni, you are now my Guru..
I categorically deny this.
I have no advice to give, I just tell folks when I do something.
Planning on holding my Jan 08 and 09 calls for now.
Uh, oh: "schtick and others have been wife"
*laugh* I don't know about that, but they have been wifi :)
Up Up and Away
No, I have not done anything else re: wifi. Spent yesterday afternoon at a blues festival and relaxed yesterday evening with the iWife and watched neighborhood children do some well-supervised fireworks.
I may mess with the wifi again this evening. schtick and others have been wife - they could give a report before I can.
T employee leaks: over 1 million iPhone activations
Nice looking web page
http://www.waitingforiphone.com/2007/07/05/att-activates-over-1-million-iphones/
OT: I have written occasionally about Apple.
I bought an iPhone on Sunday. It is the hand held computer for hundreds of millions of people, I believe. The experience of using one is incredible.
In addition, largely on the strength of AAPL shares and calls, my portfolio had a record day on Tuesday. Also bought a position in T in early June. Still holding 28% PM miners, but holy crap boys and girls, the iPhone, increasing sales of Mac computers - it is going to be quite a story when it is written, IMO.
I'll try not to write more than a post every few months about it. I know it excites Blake sometimes and causes him to write many words.
When you say reset - do you mean you changed it, or did you do something else?
Thanks
I RTFM, no help there. Says I have to type in the password. I do. It is consistently rejected. EOM
It is probably no surprise to most here that the iPhone heads the Top Seller list at the Apple on-line store.
I've been dinking around with my iPhone some. So far so good except for joining my Airport network - won't accept the password. I even went to the keychain to make sure I remembered it.
Brought home a iPhone this evening. So far pretty good. Have not been able to join my Airport network yet - won't accept the password, so I checked the passwork in keychain - I am putting it in right, so unless it is automatically throwing an uppercase character as the first one, I don't know what gives, but I am sure will find out.
Can type that puppy pretty fast now - that password.
AT&T spokesman today (update to Bloomberg story)
AT&T has sold out of the phone in nearly all of its 1,800 stores, with ``just a handful'' of locations that haven't, spokesman Mark Siegel said in an interview today. San Antonio- based AT&T is the exclusive wireless service provider for the device.
The iPhone broke AT&T's opening-weekend records, selling more in three days than phones such as Motorola Inc.'s Razr did in their first month, according to spokesman Michael Coe. Siegel declined to give specific sales figures for any of the devices.
News
Vodafone "will confirm Euro iPhone deal when one million phones are sold" - Thursday?
by Guy Kewney | posted on 03 July 2007
iPhone sales get bigger?It looks like it's a triumph for Steve Jobs, after all: despite all the problems caused by a registration logjam for the iPhone, Apple reckons it will be able to announce a million sales by Thursday. That will probably be the moment to reveal the Euro iPhone deal, say sources.
Guy Kewney
Questions arose about just how popular the iPhone was, when the expected long tailbacks to buy last Friday night were cleared within an hour or so.
And then news started coming in about problems in getting online, if Cingular thought you were a business user, and sceptics began to suggest that there was no big demand for the toy.
However, actual registrations through AT&T - not sales, but completed "activation" of iPhone accounts - showed that by last night, more than 600,000 users were online. At this rate, the magic million will be reached some time tomorrow (Wednesday) - possibly even sooner, say sources, who think that the number of customers who have bought (but still can't use) their iPhones is very high.
The deal announcing Vodafone, T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse as European sales channels for the 3G iPhone has been held up, say German sources, by legal quibbles.
"What we're hearing is that there was a contract drawn up in Germany; but that when Vodafone's Newbury lawyers saw it, they said they weren't signing a contract under German law, and it had to be re-drafted under UK legislation," said one insider.
That means that the figures - a million sold - are still flexible. If the magic million isn't reached by Thursday, or the legal wrangle isn't sorted, then the company faces a choice - announce next week, or go this week with some form of words which looks at the number ordered.
There's still room for scepticism, says Engadget:
Look at the retail availability trend above from data harvested off Apple's iPhone locator site. On Saturday June 30th, Apple showed 100% availability at their stores although we know at least some of these were only stocked with 4GB models. On Monday, availability dropped off to 84% and then just 61% as of yesterday, July 2nd. This morning, Apple's only showing a 42% availability across the nation of which we're guessing most are the less sexy 4GB models.
We'll have to wait for the stores to open but as far as we know, AT&T has still not managed to restock since selling out in the opening hours. Thus, anyone looking to purchase the device must either order on-line (and wait 2-4 weeks for delivery) or hoof it on down to your "local" Apple store.
Thursday's party depends on shipments getting through to AT&T, if that's right.
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/3495