T-Mobile Germany Next Week

Deutsche Telekom's cellular carrier T-Mobile will be officially confirmed as the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in Germany next week, according to an unnamed industry insider speaking with Reuters. Apple will allegedly use its London press event next week to announce the deal and has privately negotiated a revenue sharing deal similar to that with AT&T, in which Apple collects a portion of the monthly subscription fees. Pricing will reportedly be set at 399 Euros ($554) for an 8GB model, reflecting typically high European costs. T-Mobile has so far declined comment.

The unverified leak itself appears to confirm both earlier stories suggesting a completed deal as well as inadvertent slips by T-Mobile itself, which have included posting images of the device on its own website. Some reports have also indicated that O2 has secured a British deal similar to that for Germany, with Orange providing similar arrangements for France. The source for the latest claims stopped short of validating other European deals.

Also unknown is the German iPhone's exact release date and the cost of its service plans. A purportedly leaked ad hinted at a November 12th launch with monthly rates following the same general principle as those from AT&T, where unlimited Internet data is standard and plans are dictated by calling minutes and the number of text messages. The ad further suggested that Germans might receive a second iPhone model with 3G Internet access using HSDPA and 16GB of memory for 499 Euros ($693).

By Electronista Staff