LONDON, England (AP)—Apple Inc.‘s iPhone will go on sale in Britain on November 9 exclusively through mobile operator O2, marking the first time the combination cell phone-iPod media player will be available outside the United States.
The 8-gigabyte model will be offered for £269, or $536—or $139 more expensive than what Apple now charges in the U.S. The British iPhone has the same technical specifications as the U.S. model, but the price includes the U.K.‘s value-added tax.
This is of course the “official” launch of the iPhone in Europe, others who just couldn’t wait until now have gotten their hands on an unlocked duty-free version of the iPhone. Apparently, Apple has seen these unlocked jewels as such a threat that the latest software upgrade disables unauthorized versions. One wonders, is this the end of the Apple’s Teflon era? There are a lot outraged free spirits out there as a result of Apple’s action. On the other hand Apple has skated past much worse.
I for one, am glad to see the iPhone in Europe, its nice to know The Brits import something from us besides 50 Cent and Kayne West singles both of which are topping the charts on BBC Radio 1 this week. Aaaayoohh!!!—CRD