Apple: French iPhone launch date yet to be decided

“Apple Inc said it has no scheduled launch date for its iPhone in France, despite France Telecom earlier saying its Orange unit had been selected as Apple’s partner and will launch the device next month,” Thomson Financial reports.

“In an emailed statement to Thomson Financial News, an Apple Europe spokesman said that, while the phone will be available in Germany and the UK from Nov 9, ‘we have not announced any other country launch dates in Europe,'” Thomson Financial reports.

Full article here.

24 Comments

  1. I think Apple is researching how to release the iPhone in France without the headaches that the French government has caused it in the past over “monopoly” issues. If the iPhone is released, will the get hit with another lawsuit? I think they are wading carefully.

    Maybe Orange HAS a deal, but not a date. If so, they might have stuck the knife in their own back.

  2. Almux –

    Randian wasn’t beating the French up undersividly so, their legislators have been trying to find ways to stick it to Apple and favor MS for awhile now. And please – stay away from the overly tired, and oft too easily repeated PC explination that Americans are arrogant. It’s just a blanket statement that the weak of mind use online to make a supposed point.

    My experience has been that Americans as a whole are generous, forgiving, combative, competitive, stubborn, confident, and king as a general rule.

  3. I make castanets of your testicles, almux!

    That Pythonism aside, if you want to make someone an enemy, do him a favor. Yes, we owe the French a big one for our Revolutionary War, but they owe us TWO in return (the two big WW’s). I believe that extra favor will separate our two nations forever.

    And besides, if the French can make a better car than anyone in America (God bless the Citroen, right?), why can’t they make a better iPod, iPhone, operating system, etc.? Here’s to seeing them try.

  4. > , but they owe us TWO in return (the two big WW’s

    Haha, read your history you prick, the only reason you came to us was because it was the only way you could help your economy, it took you bloody 5 years each time!! We also payed back all the money you gave us (marshall plan was a LOAN, not a GIFT)

  5. Steve Ballmer wrote:
    …I am just against stupidity! Whether it comes from Apple, IBM or the EU Competition Commission.

    Kent wrote:
    …Apple’s business model just don’t work in Europe. Time to change the strategy.

    Now we’re talking sense.
    Europe is not the US and vice versa. Lucky that!!
    If Apple wants to be a global company it has to be able to cope with local challenges. That’s part of the innovative, creative attitude.

  6. Under the guise of consumer protection, government that decides what business must sell to consumers is ultimately government choosing what people may have– instead of letting businesses live and buy by the sales they generate. In such a case, when customers get what they want, it’s easy to herald the effectiveness of such a model. But when government begins to step on its citizens, strong government control begins to show its obvious dark side. But gee, Europe has never gone through that sort of negativity, now has it?

    No system is perfect, but I would rather one where I choose from what others would have me buy without self-important, power-oriented eggheads somewhere deciding that I’m incapable of making that choice on my own. The US is starting to get just as bad.

    People have such a short attention span. This sort of thing has always ended in revolution, only to sink back into tyranny as the subsequent generations get fat off the land again.

  7. uh… looks like you’re the one that needs to read your history. We got in ww2 because we were attacked, and only got in the european theater because Germany declared war on us first.

    I know it’s hard having the political version of penis envy, but please don’t advertise it so blatantly.

  8. The anti-french comments here are sickening. ( I’m in the UK )
    They are also ignorant.

    Apple wont release iPhone in France because French law does not allow locked phones to be sold there. Or at least – an unlocked version must be made available to consumers. Apple won’t go for that.

    Now what do you think? Would you not want a law like that as well?

  9. “The anti-french comments here are sickening.”

    The French are sickening.

    “We got in ww2 because we were attacked, and only got in the european theater because Germany declared war on us first.”

    I agree with you. It’s never like the French to take a proactive stand on a problem.

    But once they attacked, you did a good job of surrendering.

  10. CauseAndEffect: I agree with you. It’s never like the French to take a proactive stand on a problem.

    Just in case you haven’t understood what the issue here is: France is taking a proactive stand on this – that’s the whole point! They’re not meekly submissive to whatever the telcos want them to be able to do (or not!). The hard restrictive position Apple uses here is the problem as it is not legal in France.

  11. There’s an easy solution to this problem, Steve should pay a small country to declare war on France. France will then surrender immediately, Steve will be able to set up his own French government and get any law he doesn’t like changed.

  12. A law that protect the consumer for abusive staement like the locking of the phone is a very good things
    If i move to USA for 2 months for business i just need to buy a sim card and put it in my phone i don’t need to buy another phone.

    Apple will have to follow the law.

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