France’s Orange sells 30,000 iPhones in first few days
By Will Park on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 4:13 pm PST In Announcements, Apple, Financial, Orange, iPhone
As much as we love to make fun of the French, they really seem to know what they’re doing. They’re food is amazing (seriously, has any seen Ratatouille?), their fashion is cutting-edge, and their taste is impeccable - the Frenchies apparently have the same taste in handsets that sparked feverish iPhone sales in the States. In stark contrast to the iPhone’s disappointing sales on UK wireless network O2, France’s Orange has announced that they’ve sold 30,000 iPhones in the first five days since the handset’s launch last week. Similarly, T-Mobile Germany reportedly pushed 10,000 iPhones on its launch-day sales.
About 8,500 iPhones have apparently been sold on “Orange for iPhone” wireless contracts - at a €399 ($585) price point (the same price that T-mobile Germany is charging for their locked, on-contract iPhone). However, Orange has sold somewhere around 1,500 unlocked iPhones - and at just €749 without contract (which includes a €100 unlocking fee), that sales figure makes plenty of sense. Still, the launch-week sales are nothing compared to US-sales - Apple and AT&T moved 270,000 iPhones in the first weekend, nay 1.5 days, after the iPhone’s launch.
Orange has reached, if not passed, O2’s iPhone sales figures in the first few days of sales. We can only assume that the French are more willing to pony up the dough to get the latest and greatest handset than are those reluctant Brits. Both France and Britain have socialized healthcare systems, so you would think they’d be able to come up with the extra cash to grab an iPhone. So, why are Brits so cheap?
[Via: InfoWorld]
December 5th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
“So, why are Brits so cheap?”
We are not cheap, we’re just used to better phones than you get in the US. The iPhone really doesn’t stand out: there are as many downsides as there are upsides, when compared to (say) a Samsung F700 - which we can get here but isn’t available in the US.
Face it. The iPhone will become a niche player like HTC. It ain’t no big deal. Besides, there’s a lot of resentment towards Apple here and their closed systems. It all started with their insisting on charging the UK more to purchase iTunes than in the US. Why? Because they could. So to hell with Apple.
December 5th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
…or maybe the French arent so discerning as the Brits!;) The iphone isnt the latest or greatest;), as I am sure you know its many drawbacks compared to better handsets on the market… which is most likely the reason its not selling so well in the UK. However you recently reported 1 million N95’s have been sold since launch in the UK - that says it all really!
December 5th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
The french are conscious of style and iPhone is a perfect example of style
no wonder iphone sales re rocketing
December 6th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
All above comments more than valid well said.
Also the UK networks push 3G to access web services (As they paid sooooo much for the 3G licences, 20 Billion GBP wasn’t it), something that the iPhone can’t do. To save power and so give better battery life was the reason for no 3G wasn’t it. 3G coverage is good in the UK. Being a lot smaller than the USA we’ve got a better network running, it’s now a very high % of the population covered with a 3G signal 95% plus I beleive. The iPhone focuses on WiFi as the main way of internet access, not having as many starbucks in the UK WiFi hotspots aren’t as well advertised (They are about though) The take up might be better of the iPhone 2.0 here in the UK because of the access issue’s.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Us Brits are waiting for the Nokia release next year. It’s going to be strides a head of everything again. The N82 is good but Nokia I’m sure have a new mega beast of a phone to come. 10 GPS phones in 2008 as least 10 of those will be better than the iPhone possibly
December 6th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
[...] reporting 15-20 iPhone sales per week. France’s Orange Wireless, by far the iPhone’s strongest EU market, has reported that approximately 63,000 customers have registered their interest in the iPhone, [...]