The iPhone, what’s next…?

 We’ll have to wait at least until February 4 next whether Orange, the first French telecom operator, will succeed to the face of competition which decided on 17 December last, by a resounding decision to break the Apple has exclusivity granted since November 2007 on the distribution of the iPhone, its famous multimedia phone.  This was announced Wednesday that the UFC-Queue Choicer, the consumer protection association to AFP, confirming the information given by the newspaper Les Echoes.

 The operator had immediately appealed the decision “as a precaution”, i.e.in an emergency, due to the Christmas period, conducive to sales of mobile phones, pending a decision on the merits of here “twelve to fifteen months.”  Meanwhile, all other operators are allowed to sell the device under their own network.

 Indeed, competition authorities had ruled that the exclusivity of Orange was “to introduce a new factor of rigidity in an area that already suffers from a lack of competition.”  In addition, the duration of five years, deemed particularly long, was the “decisive”.

 Orange had appealed immediately, followed by Apple, even if these remedies are not suppressive.  And since, SFR and Buggies Telecom are in talks with Apple to sell the iPhone.  They told the AFP not to await the decision on appeal.

 The association said in a statement asking the Court of Appeal “confirm” the suspension of the exclusivity, arguing that “it is in the interest of consumers”, stressing the significant discount applied during the holiday season pares decision of competition authorities.The latter therefore pursue their negotiations with the firm to the apple and told the AFP not to await the decision on appeal.

 These are approximately 600,000 iPhone Orange said they sold since the release in France in November 2007 of its first version, with three quarters of an aircraft in its second version of third generation (3G).