Orange

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 wireless carrier Orange created a controversy when it revealed that its "unlimited" data download allowed on an iPhone plan was actually limited to 750 megabytes. Following a firestorm of criticism via Twitter, the carrier quickly announced that it might reconsider the 750MB limit and is currently stating that the limit never existed.

A little competition never hurt anyone and in the case of Apple's iPhone, actually picked up sales quite a bit. On Tuesday, the iPhone stopped being exclusively offered by wireless carrier O2 in the UK. The device went on sale at 7 a.m. at Orange retailers with the carrier already claiming that the iPhone has gone over exceedingly well with consumers, despite already having been available to O2 customers since its initial launch.
By the end of business today, the newest UK iPhone carrier on the block will have sold well more than 30,000 iPhones.

UK iPhone owners subscribed to O2 will be allowed to unlock for other carriers, according to the CEO of O2's parent company, Telefonica Europe. "Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks," says Matthew Key, "we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator -- though naturally we hope they won't want to!"

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.

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.

UK wireless carrier O2 is bracing itself for what may be up to 30,000 returned iPhones as recent customers send back their iPhones to wait for better deals from rivals Orange and Vodafone. Per The Telegraph, the 30,000 customers that bought the iPhone from O2 within the last two weeks are therefore entitled to end their contracts. O2 has stated the company is not planning to offer such users a better deal in order to convince them not to cancel their contract.

Wireless carrier Vodafone announced on Tuesday that it will begin selling Apple's iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in the United Kingdom and Ireland sometime in early 2010. Per The Mac Observer, the announcement makes Vodafone the second company to score a deal that digs into what used to be O2's exclusive iPhone territory.

Wireless carrier O2 may be set to lose its exclusive deal as the iPhone's mobile network on October 9th. The Mobile Entertainment web site has claimed to have seen documentation confirming that O2 will lose its exclusive license on this date. Per the article, O2 will retain the rights to sell the device until 2012; but its period as the exclusive seller is only for two years.