Dave Horvath
21 Nov 2007 11:26
In a move that stems from a recent German court challenge by rival Vodafone, T-Mobile will begin offering the Apple iPhone to German customers without the need to sign an exclusive contract with the company. Much like O2 in the UK and AT&T in the US, T-Mobile had inked an exclusive deal with Apple to provide service for the iPhone. Vodafone went to court to challenge the competition clause in this an in light of it, T-Mobile has decided to take preemptive measures.
T-Mobile will now sell the iPhone to any consumer that wishes to own one with no contract for a stifling 999 euros ($1,477, £719). This is obviously in effort make up costs they would have been guaranteed if the customer would sign the required contract. With a two year contract, consumers would only have to pay 399 euros.
T-Mobile stated that it will do whatever it can to assist consumers "until the legal situation is resolved". Such actions include unlocking the SIM card within the phone. This would allow consumers to use any network they wish. They also stated they are willing to do this for consumers who have already purchased the phone.
Source:
BBC