14 DAY TRIAL // T-Mobile has just been announced by Apple as being the operator to carry the iPhone in Germany. No surprise here. Still, the recent rumors that this company will be the one to support the phone's release in up to 5 European countries has also been confirmed, although the exact date when this should happen has not been specified yet.
The same question that O2 has received on the iPhone's unveiling ceremony has been addressed to T-Mobile Chief Executive Officer, Rene Obermann. This regards the terms of the contract that the operator has closed with Apple. The official has avoided giving a specific answer, which has also been the case with O2. Both companies declined any comments on the contracts that they sign, following the same policy in the case of the one closed with Apple.
One surprising aspect has been that of powering the rumors that have been going by recently, stating that T-Mobile will support the iPhone in five European countries. The company's boss, Hamid Akhavan acknowledged the possibility that his company will be the one to distribute the iPhone in neighboring countries as well. He offered only few details, trying to return to the Germany handset unveiling.
The other countries that have high chances of receiving the iPhone in the future through T-Mobile are Austria, Croatia, Hungary and the Netherlands. Previous rumors stated that there were some chances for these other countries to see a release announcement at the same time with the one for Germany. This has not happened, though, leaving high chances for the other countries to receive Apple's phone at the same time with the rest of Europe, at the beginning of year 2008.
T-Mobile will start selling the iPhone in Germany starting the 9th of November, just on the same day when the UK operator O2 will do the same. Apple's phone will be available in this country for the price of EUR 400 (about USD 554), a sum that also comes very close to that which the British people will have to pay for their iPhone too.