German Apple Stores have dropped Vodafone and O2 contracts for both iPhones and iPads, offering them only with Deutsche Telekom contracts or SIM-free. The change affects only post-paid contracts: pre-paid SIMs remain available on Vodafone.
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Back in May of last year, a long list of readers in countries around the world reported having access to Apple’s two-step verification security feature for their Apple ID. Shortly after the news broke, the feature disappeared in many countries signaling it had been launched prematurely. The only officially supported countries listed on Apple’s website included the “U.S., UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.” However, today the feature has appeared in several new countries including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, & Spain. Apple has also updated its support pages for two-step verification here and here to list the new countries.
AT&T and Verizon could soon jointly bid to acquire Vodafone.
Vodafone is second only to China Mobile for the world’s largest mobile telecommunications companies due to 439 million subscribers and high revenues in December 2011.
CNET reported the deal would value Vodafone at $245 billion, if signed. For reference purposes: Verizon’s market cap is now at $142.09 billion, and AT&T sits at 205.88 billion.
The deal would also allow Verizon to acquire Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in U.S. operations. AT&T would then acquire the remaining business outside of the U.S.
The Financial Times, which cited “usually reliable people,” noted both U.S. carriers feel comfortable sharing the risk associated with such a huge deal and further believe it will pass any regulatory obstacles.
Following reports about some carriers in Europe issuing warnings not to upgrade to iOS 6.1 due to issues with 3G performance, it seems a fix is already in the works. The issue was not just with 3G through carriers such as Vodafone and three in Austria, many users in Apple’s own forums complained of similar problems, degraded battery life, and more. Users have also had problems with Exchange support, causing AOL corporate to temporarily disable the ability to manage mobile meetings from iOS devices running iOS 6.1.
Today, a report from German language blog iFun claimed that carriers have already completed testing a 6.1.1 update to address the bugs and a 23MB update carrying build number 10B145 should be available over-the-air soon:
After ifun.de this information is already in version 6.1.1 of the night on Monday as “Testing Complete” and should be offered the iPhone community with little flow as a wireless update. Sources which are applicable in the past on the issue dates of iOS 6.0.2 and iOS 6.1 as well as the eradication of the “SMS spoofing problem” have informed, indicate the large 23MB update with UMTS-compatible.
Apple’s first beta release for 6.1.1 was released last week with build number 10B311.
Update: In a blog post prematurely posted on its UK website, Vodafone confirmed it has 500,000 nano-SIMs ready to go, while noting the “first devices have now been announced.” It also posted the images above showing off just how tiny the new SIMs are… approximately 40 percent smaller than micro-SIM.
They’re so slim and tiny you might only be able to handle them with tweezers – but imagine the extra space the new nano-SIM card frees up inside your handset…The first devices have now been announced – and Vodafone has now got 500,000 of the new 12.3 mm x 8.8 mm nano-SIMs in stock.
We told you that nano-SIMs was arriving at carriers last week ahead of this week’s iPhone launch when the first one was spotted at T-Mobile partners in Europe. Today, iFun reports that Vodafone Germany also has its SIM cards in stock and ready to ship in the next 24 hours:
After the nano-SIM sightings at Telekom and O2 internally distributed cards, on which we reported in the course of the forenoon were able to report that we are now sitting in front of confirmed nano-SIM shipments Vodafone.
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Much like in the weeks leading up to the iPhone 4S launch in early October 2011, European carriers are preparing for the expected Sept. 12 introduction of the new iPhone with pre-order tickets now available through various carriers. As noted by reports from German website iPhone-ticker.de, Deutsche Telekom will offer pre-order tickets to interested customers through its distribution partners starting today. The tickets will offer a first-come, first-serve basis for the new iPhone with express delivery of the device to ticket holders on the first available day. Carriers are clearly preparing for the launch of Apple’s next-gen iPhone. Not that we need additional verification, as the most recent reports once again confirm a Sept. 12 unveiling and add the device could actually be available for pre-order on the same day. Last year, Vodafone and other carriers quickly followed Deutsche Telekom by offering iPhone pre-order tickets.
The last we heard in the case of Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission taking Apple to court over the “4G” branding of the new iPad was a meeting earlier this week that ended without resolution. Apple offered users a refund for the third-gen 4G iPad and changed some of its “4G LTE” advertising on its Australian website following complaints the device did not operate on frequencies used by 4G networks in the country. However, the ACCC wanted Apple to change the Wi-Fi + 4G branding of the actual device.
Today, a report from The Australian claimed Apple is defending the name by claiming, despite operating only on 3G networks, the new iPads on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone deliver speeds “in accordance with accepted industry and regulatory use of the descriptor ‘4G’.” In other words, Apple thinks the carrier’s 3G networks should be referred to as 4G networks. This is what Apple told an Australian federal court this week:
Apple says the iPad is compatible with data networks run by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone “which are 4G networks in accordance with accepted industry and regulatory use of the descriptor ‘4G’ “…. The iPad with WiFi + 4G is a device which performs in accordance with the descriptor ‘4G’ in terms of data transfer speed… The descriptor ‘4G’ … conveys to consumers in Australia that the iPad with WiFi + 4G will deliver a superior level of service in terms of data transfer speed (consistent with accepted industry and regulatory use of that term), and not that the iPad with WiFi + 4G is compatible with any particular network technology promoted by a particular mobile service provider in Australia.”
Apple also claimed:
“There was at all material times information widely published in Australia which informed consumers that the iPad with WiFi + 4G was not compatible with Telstra’s 4G LTE network”
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Carrier Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of U.S. telecommunications firm Verizon Communications and UK multinational mobile network operator Vodafone, today announced financial results for the September quarter. Big Red sold two million iPhone units which represents a 300,000 units decline compared to the June quarter. Verizon was also behind rival AT&T which yesterday reported activating 2.7 million iPhones in the quarter out of a total of 4.8 million total devices.
In a separate statement, rival AT&T said it activated a million units of the new iPhone 4S on its network as of Tuesday, while Verizon made no mention of iPhone 4S in its quarterly filing. iPhone 4S went on sale in the United States, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Canada and Japan on Friday, October 14. The phone will roll out to 22 new countries later this month, with regional online Apple Stores in those countries accepting reservations beginning today.
Verizon’s full press release is right after the break.
The payWall St. Journal is reporting that T-Mobile’s exclusivity contract in Gemany is ending and O2 and Vodafone are picking up the iPhone for the holiday season.
Must be nice…
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