O2 Ireland CEO "Defends" Lack of Data, Features

As highlighted earlier, when O2 launches the iPhone on March 14, it will be with only a wee 1GB of data (vs. unlimited in other territories) and nay visual voicemail (standard elsewhere -- indeed cited as a rationale for carrier cooperation read: lock-in).

Now MacNN brings us "justification" from O2 Ireland CEO, Danuta Gray:

"You can't compare it with other products. Comparing it with a standard handset is just not like-for-like. I have music on it, videos on it, DVDs, photo albums, camera. To me it's just an amazing device and I think the type of price here compared with this type of functionality is where the value should be judged."

And while this certainly does make the iPhone sound like a right nifty bit of tech, and perhaps explains the general cost of the device globally, it does nothing to explain why the Irish version should offer less in the way of data and features compared to, say, the iPhone in all other parts of the world (including O2's own offering in the UK).

Care to take another try then?