By AppleInsider Staff
Published: 08:40 AM EST
Apple and O2 announced Tuesday that O2, the leading wireless carrier in the UK, will be the exclusive UK carrier for Apple's iPhone when it makes its debut in the UK on November 9.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with O2 to offer our revolutionary iPhone to UK customers,” said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. “US iPhone customer satisfaction is off the charts, and we can’t wait to let UK customers get their hands on it and learn what they think of it.”
iPhone customers in the UK will be treated to the same iPhone activation experience as US customers, where they can use Apple's iTunes software to get the device up and running on O2's network from the comfort and privacy of their own home or office, rather than wait on long lines at the store.
In addition, UK customers will also receive all the revolutionary features that made iPhone so popular in the US, including access to Apple's recently launched iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store.
“Our strategy at O2 is to bring our customers the best products and experiences,” said Matthew Key, CEO, O2 UK. “The iPhone is a breakthrough that is changing the way people use their mobiles forever, and we're thrilled to have it exclusively for O2 customers in the UK.”
Only a single model -- an 8GB iPhone -- is scheduled to go on sale for £269 on November 9, and will be sold exclusively in the UK through Apple’s retail and online stores, O2 and The Carphone Warehouse's retail and online stores.
Apple and O2 have come up with three new value iPhone tariffs starting at £35, each of which include unlimited anytime, anywhere mobile data usage and -- in a market first -- free unlimited use of "the cloud," UK’s largest single public Wi-Fi network, covering over 7,500 cafes, restaurants, airport lounges, pubs and other locations across the UK.
