By Sam Oliver
Published: 11:10 AM EST (08:10 AM PST)
A new report alleges that T-Mobile U.K. is secretly supplying the iPhone 3G unlocked, but only to its highest spending customers who threaten to transfer to another wireless carrier.
According to
The Register, T-Mobile U.K. has authorized only 150 phones per week to be issued to certain customers. The phones, which are last year's model, are
officially supported by T-Mobile, although the move is not sanctioned by Apple, which has an exclusive agreement with competing carrier O2.
"T-Mobile has imported an unknown number of iPhone 3G handsets from a European distributor," the report states, "which it will be supplying to customers paying more than £75 a month if they threaten to leave -- the latter clause enforced by allocating the handsets through 50 agents in the retentions department, and limiting those agents to three a week each."
T-Mobile is not advertising the offering, though, because they do not want to risk upsetting Apple. The carrier has an exclusive contract for the iPhone in the company's home country of Germany.
Last month, rumors surfaced that the iPhone 3G could be
coming to the British T-Mobile after that model's exclusivity expires with carrier O2. The iPhone 3GS, however, would remain solely on the O2 network.
iTunes Music Store opens in Mexico; Online store in Brazil coming soon
Apple officially launched the iTunes Music Store in Mexico Tuesday. The destination has a selection of both Mexican and international artists from all major labels and "hundreds of independent labels."
"Launching with a catalog of millions of songs, the iTunes Store in Mexico features Mexican artists including Paulina Rubio, Vicente Fernandez and Zoe and a wide range of international artists including Shakira, Lady Gaga, Green Day and thousands more," Apple stated in a press release. "With most songs priced at 12 pesos and most albums at 120 pesos, the iTunes Store in Mexico is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online."
Though the store includes music and videos, there are currently no TV shows or movies available, according to an
AppleInsider reader.
Songs sell for 12 pesos, while albums range from 90 pesos to 170 pesos. Music videos are 24 pesos. At 12 pesos, songs cost about 91 U.S. cents.
"The iTunes Store in Mexico is off to a great start with music from all of the majors and hundreds of indie labels," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Internet Services. "And the revolutionary App Store in Mexico gets bigger and better with great new apps using amazing new features, and we can't wait to see what developers come up with next."
Another
AppleInsider reader sends word that Apple's online store in Brazil is almost ready to open. According to
MacMagazine, manually typing in certain addresses makes sections of the Apple Store available in Portuguese.
Some sources have reported that the regional store
could open this month.
