Monday, December 17, 2007

Apple breaking EU regulations?

Reports are starting to come in that Apple have applied a country lock, so that French iPhones only work on French mobile networks, to the "unlocked" iPhones on sale in France. I guess they haven't heard about the regulations forbidding restrictions on trade and commerce between EU member countries? I can't see any way they can justify this move the face of the current EU regulations, and presumably we'll see someone pull them up on it very shortly...

While the iPhone is a success in the US market, Apple seems to have failed to understand how the European and US markets differ. If the iPhone takes off here, it's going to be despite all the Apple is doing, not because of it...

Update: The Register is now reporting that Orange France is denying the rumours, and saying that "Once legally unlocked, the iPhone will operate with any SIM card, including foreign ones..."

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