Orange to sell iPhone from 10 November?

iPhone 3GS

Orange customers could see the iPhone arriving on their network sooner than they think if reports suggesting it is heading their way on 10 November are to be believed.

The mobile giant has yet to respond to IT PRO's request for clarification on the situation, but has declined to comment on a number of other reports that claim the iPhone's Orange UK debut is mere weeks away.

Last month, Orange, which already supports the iPhone in 28 countries around the world, announced that the iconic device would be hitting UK shores before Christmas. Vodafone quickly followed suit, saying the iPhone would be available on its network early next year.

Since it emerged that O2's exclusive hold over the iPhone is coming to an end, users have crossed their fingers, hoping for a price war. However, both operators are remaining tight-lipped on exact delivery dates, leaving users playing a waiting game and wondering which one to go with to get the best deal.

Vodafone's next set of financials are due around the same time as the rumoured Orange iPhone launch date.

Fellow operator 3 has also expressed its desire to make the iPhone available on its network.

"I would expect the iPhone to be on the 3 network sometime during 2010," Kevin Russell, 3's chief executive, said during a Westminster eForum event last week, according to the Guardian.

"At the moment, we don't have the iPhone. We don't really have any smartphones but if we improve our range of smartphones and introduce the iPhone then our data traffic will grow massively."

Maggie Holland

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999, starting her career as an editorial assistant on then-weekly magazine Computing, before working her way up to senior reporter level. In 2006, just weeks before ITPro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of ITPro, she was appointed group editor of CloudPro and ITPro in April 2012. She became the editorial director and took responsibility for ChannelPro, in 2016.

Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.