14 DAY TRIAL // While it is still unclear exactly who Apple will partner with in Europe, and despite the many reports about the various carriers, nothing official has been said yet. It is clear that there is a lot of interest in the device. Apple retailers in Europe, where the company does not have much of a retail presence, are reporting a large number of iPhone enquiries.
Germany's biggest Apple retailer is getting 1,000 enquiries every day from people interested in buying the iPhone, which is expected to go on sale towards the end of the year. "Fifty-seven thousand interested people have already registered with us," the head of retailer Gravis, Archibald Horlitz, told Germany's Tagesspiegel. "Every day, we get about 1,000 more."
According to Horlitz, approximately 58 percent of those interested in purchasing the iPhone are willing to consider switching carrier, if need be. These numbers are quite similar to the ones reported by AT&T who saw that over 40 percent of iPhone enthusiasts were not current customers.
Although the Europeans are just as eager to get their hands on the iPhone, the launch itself will likely be very different from the one in the United States. Apple has very few stores in Europe, relying on local retailers instead. It could very well be that in Europe, the carriers will handle the bulk of the iPhones with Apple retailers handling a much smaller amount. While these details have not yet been worked out, Horlitz said that he does expect Gravis to be allowed to sell the iPhones in its 29 German branches.
One thing is certain: Apple will be on a tight schedule as not only do the deals with carriers need to be struck and the retail distribution sorted out, but the carriers also need to make their networks compatible with the device by adding various features.