UK

Vodafone UK, the newest iPhone carrier in the UK, has announced SIM-only plans to encourage those in the country with iPhones on competitors' networks to switch to Vodafne plans. They're hoping that at least some of the users on the other networks will be unhappy with their plans to switch or be enticed by their network quality, which they claim boasts "reaches 99.7 per cent of the UK population - and our network has won awards for its speed and reliability," according to their website.

There are officially four carriers for the iPhone in the UK: O2, Orange, Tescos, and as of today, Vodafone. As with the other three carriers, tariffs start at 18 months long, the cheapest being £40/month, providing a free iPhone, 600 minutes and unlimited texting. The plan for 24 months is £35/month, though still more expensive when you do the math. Another 90 quid will get yu a 16GB iPhone 3GS, and £179 on the basic contract gets you the 32GB iPhone 3GS. You can see all the details spelled out at Vodafone's UK website.

According to a recent market research report, the UK is set to experience a "Wi-Fi boom" thanks in part to the iPhone's popularity. The report says that the high saturation of smartphones in the population is helping to spur the opening of more and more public WI-Fi hotspots. The number of hotspots increased 47% in 2009, and handheld devices like the iPhone made up 35% of the connections made to them, opposed to just 20% in 2008. It is estimated that by 2011, it will be up to nearly half.

Vodafone announced recently that they will be ready to launch the iPhone on their network starting January 14th, 2010. The smallest plan they're offering will be £30 a month for 24 months, with additional handset charges ranging from £59 (iPhone 3G 8GB) to £239 (3GS 32GB). Those willing to sign on to a £35/month tariff for 24 months will get their 8GB iPhone 3G for free.

O2 has started unlocking iPhones in the UK for users who want to switch from their network to Orange UK, the newest carrier to get the iPhone there. Users who signed up to have their devices unlocked have begun receiving texts messages instructing them to replace the O2 SIM card with that of a different carrier (in their case, Orange), and connect the device to iTunes. It's as simple as that.

UK carrier Orange has announced their pricing for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS today to take effect at the official launch on November 10th. Prices vary with the contract you sign up for, ranging from free with an extensive plan to £539 for the 32 GB iPhone 3GS with a contract-free pay as you go plan. The pricing structure is almost exactly the same as O2's, with the exception of a lower 24-month contract and twice as many minutes and text on their entry-level 18-month contract.

Orange has announced that they will begin offering the iPhone 3GS in the UK starting on November 10, exactly one day after O2's contract for iPhone exclusivity in the region ends. While Vodafone has also announced plans to offer the device, it won't be until 2010, putting Orange in line to benefit most from the anti-O2 crowd.

A new web site has surfaced that allows users you watch live television via a QuickTime player in Safari. Per Macworld UK, tvcatchup.com allows both iPhone and desktop conputer users to currently watch 11 channels - BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, ITV2, Channel 4, Five, BBC Three, Film4, E4, More4, and 4Music.

In spite of an upcoming price war and a potential influx of iPhone handsets being returned, O2's UK division has temporarily run out of both the 16 and 32 GB iPhone 3GS models from the company's online store. According to The Telegraph, most physical outlets are said to have been without phones for two weeks. Supplies of the 32GB model were only depleted on or after September 28th.

On Friday, wireless carrier T-Mobile confirmed last month's rumors that the operator was scouring Europe for contract-free Apple iPhones to offer as incentives for customers to stay with them.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Richard Moat, UK managing director of T-Mobile stated that T-Mobile had supplied iPhones "to a few hundred" high-value contract customers.