Vodafone and O2 to Break T-Mobile's iPhone Exclusivity in Germany
Apple's list of major markets with carrier exclusivity for the iPhone continues to dwindle with today's announcements by
Vodafone and
O2 that they will soon begin offering the iPhone 4 in Germany, breaking T-Mobile's longstanding exclusivity for Apple's handsets in that country. For the time being, the two new carriers are only offering information pages to allow users to register their interest in the device, with phone and service plan pricing and launch dates to be announced later.
Apple noted in its
April earnings conference call that the U.S., Germany, and Spain were the three remaining "major" markets where single carriers held the rights for the iPhone. Since that time, Spain and now Germany have gone non-exclusive, leaving AT&T in the United States as the primary exclusive relationship for Apple and the iPhone. Several other large markets, including Japan and China, also have exclusive-carrier status for the moment, but Apple has not chosen to include them in its citations of its most significant markets.
AT&T's exclusivity may not last much longer, however, as increasing numbers of reports are pointing the launch of a CDMA-based iPhone on Verizon early next year.
Popular Stories
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27.
During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14.
iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update.
Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries.
In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
