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Apple Confirms T-Mobile as German iPhone Partner

12:15 am on September 20, 2007 | Category: Business, Cell Phones, Cellular, Mobile Devices, Telecom Services, Wireless

Deutsche Telekom’s wireless unit, T-Mobile, has won an exclusive contract to sell Apple’s forthcoming iPhone device in Germany, the companies announced yesterday.

The iPhone, which combines the functions of a web-ready cell phone and iPod music and video player, will sell for â‚¬399, or US$553, including Germany’s 19% Value-Added Tax.

This announcement comes just one day after Apple unveiled its long-awaited iPhone in the UK, confirming O2 as its partner carrier for that market. The 8GB iPhone device will be available throughout both Britain and Germany, beginning November 9.

Despite the excitement of a firm launch date, however, many users are disappointed that the iPhone comes only with EDGE mobile data capability, and is not yet compatible with 3G networks. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, defended the decision saying that installing higher-powered wireless data chips would have cut the phone’s battery life in half.

“The iPhone has eight hours of talk time, and that’s a lot, and we’d like at least five hours of talk time with 3G so people can take advantage of the iPod, take advantage of the Internet functions and actually use them and not have to worry about missing their important phone calls,” Jobs explained. “The chip sets are improving and I’m hoping that by the end of next year we can deliver on that (3G), but right now, no one has figured it out.”

For the mean time, the iPhone’s built-in Wi-Fi functionality will allow it to connect to the internet at broadband speeds whenever it’s within range of a wireless hotspot.

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