SFR to offer iPhone 3G in France as well! Sorry ORANGE...

[sayam]

Awhile back Apple was ordered to dissolve it's exclusivity contract with ORANGE in France, as it was seen as a threat to the French anti-competition law by the Conseil de la concurrence. Now, the second biggest French carrier SFR with a subscriber base of 1,90,000 customers is ready to offer iPhone beginning April 8.

The company plans to sell the 8GB version for €99 ($127) and 16GB iPhones for €199 ($254) with a usual 2-year contract. Plans range from €41.90 to €67.90 per month for the voice options and each of the plan has unlimited data, text and Wi-Fi as well!

To be notified of the release, the customers can signup at their site. This is going to be a great news for those 1,90,000 users and many others. Other companies currently have no say on when are they going to offer the phone but it seems that they'll follow soon.

[Ars Technica]

[Matt27272]

What does it mean when it says that plan includes Wifi?

[khaled_cs]

only 190,000 users?
do u mean 1,900,000?

[OGlockk]

Dang i wish the 8g was that cheap in America

[royalnewjersey]

First, I don't think 1,90,000 is a real number...

Second, why is the iPhone cheaper over there? (even after unit conversion)

[xxhorseriderxxx]

First, I don't think 1,90,000 is a real number...

Second, why is the iPhone cheaper over there? (even after unit conversion)

globally speakin', Americans are more than happy to pay the extra money =\

[dale1v]

First, I don't think 1,90,000 is a real number...

yes it is, that's 190 000 regardless of the commas.

[confucious]

What does it mean when it says that plan includes Wifi?

Presumably the same as O2 here in the UK. There are very few free WiFi spots in the UK but lots of paid for ones. If you have the O2 Data plan with WiFi (£10 as opposed to £7.50 without WiFi) you don't have to pay extra to access the points that you otherwise would.

yes it is, that's 190 000 regardless of the commas.

Except SFR's total customer base is 18.766 million

Second, why is the iPhone cheaper over there? (even after unit conversion)

It's pretty similar to UK pricing - except in the UK it gets cheaper on more expensive monthly price plans and in the UK it's 'only' 18 month contracts (a couple of years ago all contracts were 12 months in the UK, now most are 18 months).
One of the reasons phones are cheaper in the UK/EU is standards. All providers use GSM/UMTS on 900/1800 for GSM and 2100 for UMTS. One phone can be made and sold throughout Europe (and other parts of the world) without modification.
In the US only AT&T use similar standards - T-Mob do for GSM but not UMTS so with the fragmentation you lose both the economies of scale and competition.

[s4mb4]

who cares about the french. i think for lunch i will order some freedom fries.

[confucious]

who cares about the french. i think for lunch i will order some freedom fries.

Only Americans could be so insular and condemn whole nations like that.




Besides, we know they are called chips

[dale1v]

Except SFR's total customer base is 18.766 million

I was talking in a literal sense

[confucious]

I was talking in a literal sense

Whereas I very rarely talk any sense