Mobile operators Vodafone, O2 and 3 have confirmed they will sell the iPhone 4 in Ireland, which is due to arrive at the end of July. Meteor, however, said it is not in talks with iPhone and intends to concentrate on the Google Android platform.
Since Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 at the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this week, the question in many countries is when will the device arrive?
The device has been tipped to arrive in Ireland on 24 July. However, since that is at the same stage the device is due to arrive in the UK, don’t be too surprised if that date slips.
The first time the iPhone came to these shores three years ago, Apple had an exclusive deal with O2. But since then it has realised the merits of a broader strategy and in Ireland Vodafone also carries the iPhone.
It is very likely that when the iPhone 4 and the iPad arrives in Ireland in mid-July they could be carried by at least three operators, with 3 Ireland CEO Robert Finnegan confirming recently the company intends to carry the iPad along with other high-speed mobile internet devices.
In the UK this morning, 3 confirmed it would carry the iPhone 4 while O2 announced an upgrade offer for existing iPhone users. This means five carriers in the UK – O2, Vodafone, 3, T-Mobile and Orange – will carry the iPhone 4 from 24 July, taking pre-orders on 15 July.
Confirmed for Ireland
Siliconrepublic.com got in touch with the four main mobile operators in Ireland – Vodafone, O2, 3 and Meteor – to get a handle on who will carry the iPhone 4.
Vodafone confirmed it will be selling the device. “We’re definitely getting it,” a spokesperson said. “In terms of dates, all we can say is it is coming soon.”
A spokesperson for O2 Ireland repeated a similar message: “Indications from Apple are currently end of July, but they haven’t specified dates beyond that. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more.”
Sources close to 3 Ireland also confirmed they will be “stocking it.”
Eircom-owned operator Meteor, however, said it has no plans to stock the iPhone 4. A spokesperson said: “Meteor is not in talks with Apple about the iPhone 4. We will be concentrating on the Android platform, particularly our relationship with HTC.”
Jobs described the iPhone 4 as the biggest leap in mobile phone technology since the iPhone, sporting a high-definition display code-named Retina, a three-axis gyroscope and an aluminosilicate glass material that is 30 times harder than plastic.
It will also come with the latest OS4, which will bring more than 100 new features to the iPhone, including multi-tasking, better email functionality, deeper enterprise support and the new iAd mobile advertising platform.
