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26 Nov 2009
Tesco has confirmed that it will sell the iPhone as part of Apple's move to open up its UK distribution channel.
The UK's largest retailer will start stocking the phones "shortly" in its Tesco Mobile shops set up with O2. Reports suggest that Tesco will offer the handsets before the all-important Christmas retail rush.
"It is a bit of a coup to get this before the other operators," said a Tesco Mobile representative.
The move will be a blow to Vodafone, which will not be able to sell the iPhone until after Christmas, and raises the possibility of a price war with Orange, which has also secured a handset deal with Apple, but at similar prices to O2's.
Tesco is getting heavily into the UK mobile phone market with plans to double the number of Tesco Mobile outlets to 200 by the end of 2010. If the company decides to compete on price, as it has in other markets, operators could face a price war over mobile tariffs.
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Do you agree?
Good Stuff
Been Looking at an iPhone for a while, but holding to see what Vodafone came up with - might be swayed with Tesco if their deal is good :0 As for Gordon, you could look at it that he has currently put us in the brown stuff ( I do not need to spell it out, as we are not idiots... ;) ) but history may see him differently, if RBS and Lloyds shares go up in the next few years and they get sold at a profit - the brown stuff turns to gold! Don't underestimate the man, he's a forward thinker.
Posted by: mike 27 Nov 2009
Tesco
@S ROBINSON I would never say that Vodafone, O2 and Orange were ever the little men would you? They're the only competitors in that market segment so why not let Tesco in on the act. Also, why the rant about Gordon Brown? It has nothing to do with this article and is a complete different subject matter. Personally, I support the move. Competition is a good thing for the consumer and keeps markets healthy.
Posted by: G 26 Nov 2009
"Desent" comment
..perhaps decent.
Posted by: Elias 26 Nov 2009
s. robinson
NO need to SHOUT! This is a tech site, but lets blame the immigrants for the recession. Why not blame those low life chavs who live to go on the dole.
Posted by: big dave 26 Nov 2009
Brown?
Brown doesnt have to pay anything back, the conservatives are in at the next general and he knows it, he is just making sure that they have the biggest heap of turd to deal with in history so the public perceive them as doing a bad job , so come the general he can bang on about how the cons failed in sorting out england and new-new labour will be able to do it for the nation. Utter twaddle, from both parties for that matter. But on to the subject at hand... Tesco can be less than moral in some of its choices, however lets not forget Tesco mobile is 50% 02, so really its just 02 branding the Iphone differently, and i will be very surprised if Tesco is much cheaper than 02. Perhaps for the first few months but then 02 will match them on price, leaving the other carriers in the dirt.
Posted by: Chris 26 Nov 2009
As a shareholder...
...I think they're doing great! I live in "Tesco Town" and we have a total of 6 stores. Nearest alternatives are 6+ miles away
Posted by: JM 26 Nov 2009
Well I've always hated
people who put comments in capitals. Trouble locating your caps-lock key you ignoramus? Tesco's power can be daunting, particularly for suppliers, and a particular group of Thai journalists would have something to say about Tesco's willingness to oppress, but the reason they currently dominate is that they do things extremely well. There is plenty of room for the other supermarkets to improve and compete - it is not a monopoly. In the end, the customer is the winner here. Tesco's service and value for money are exceptional.
Posted by: GW 26 Nov 2009
TESCO ?????
IVE ALWAYS HATED THE WAY TESCO HAS TAKEN OVER EVERYTHING, PUSHING THE LITTLE MAN ASIDE, BUT THE WAY THEY RUN THINGS IS FANTASTIC, WE SHOULD PUT THEM IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY, IT WONT BE LONG BEFORE NO BRAINS GORDON IS BORROWING MONEY FROM TESCO AS HE HAS ROBBED EVERY DESENT WORKING PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY, ANY FOOL CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME WHEN THEY ARE BORROWING MONEY, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY IT BACK MR BROWN, HES CERTAINLY PUT US IN THE BROWN STUFF,(SHIT).
Posted by: S ROBINSON 26 Nov 2009
Its still within the O2 /Orange Family
Price war or not at the end of the day with the O2 / Orange merger the only one that will lose out here is Vodaphone.
Posted by: Mel 26 Nov 2009
Yipieeee
Yippieeeeeeeeeeeee And do like a price war :o)
Posted by: Dee 26 Nov 2009
So the best network is the last to get the worst phone, who cares?
Amazing, an all show no go device is tied to an all show now go network. A match made in Silicon Valley hell. Forget all those Poor Vodafone users, wish I was one of them instead of T-Mobile - its a work thing, they'll just have to wait until the new year. Perhaps though they'll look around and find a real PDA that actually does something useful
Posted by: J... 26 Nov 2009
Good good good
ha ha. first post made me laugh.. thanks for clarifying what the brown stuff is (shit) i would never have guessed.. The iPhone is a lot more expensive than other phones to buy and run, but considering the other handsets out there you do get what you pay for as it's more of a multimedia device than a phone. I can't see the prices coming down a great deal. Maybe 10% or so just so they can say they are the cheapest. At the end of it all the main benefit will be to the consumers so it's all good...
Posted by: Micky Quinn for England 26 Nov 2009
iphone
tesco uses o2's mobile network, they are most likely just using o2's stock of Iphones anyway... but if its cheaper then fair enough, buy a HTC Hero instead iphones suck
Posted by: richard 26 Nov 2009
Orange/O2 merger!!!!!
Should that not be Orange/T-Mobile merger? Good luck to Tesco & the iPhone, how many club card points would you say I need?
Posted by: MrMonkeyKiller 26 Nov 2009