V v T

So Vodafone has sued T-Mobile over the recent deal between Apple and T-Mobile to sell the iPhone exclusively on the T-Mobile network.

Some might see this as just another legal battle.

Is it about the right to buy an unlocked iPhone to use, without it being crippled at the first software update, on the carrier of the buyers choice?

In Europe they have laws about companies using restrictive practices.

Hard as it is to say this, I applaud the French for standing up to Apple and demanding that they also sell unlocked iPhones.

Though how many they will sell when Apple inflates the price to double the price paid for one on the Orange network I'm not sure.

And how will Apple get around updating iPhones on the Orange network? Are they going to say to owners of non-Orange iPhones that they will not get updates?

How many iPhones did Apple estimate were sold with the intention of unlocking? 250,000?

Maybe Apple has underestimated the market in Europe.

And why has it taken so long for the iPhone to appear in Canada? Hardly a world away from the US but they have not had any indication as to when Apple will launch the iPhone there.

And I do realise that the networks are doing this for one reason and it's not standing up for their customers - but for once maybe the customers might just benefit if they want to buy an unlocked iPhone to use on the network of their choice.

update:
So T-Mobile have now offered to sell unlocked iPhones for.......

...€999!!!!

Come on T-Mobile - you could have at least rounded it up to €1000.

€999 equates to $1465 or £714 (at current rates). That's crazy money for a phone.

Even for the iPhone....