The Smart Covers are available in the Apple Store and are still priced at $39 for the Polyurethane model and $69 for the Leather version.

Source: Apple Store via 9to5 Mac

Orange in the UK has teamed up with Apple to offer its users a free iTunes movie rental each week, under the name of Films To Go. The service, which is UK only, will offer a different movie each week. The movie will be available to view for 30 days but once you have started watching, you have 48 hours to complete it.

This week’s film is My Blueberry Nights with The Wrestler scheduled for next week. To get access to the free movie rentals, Orange customers just need to text FILMTOGO to 85060. You will then be sent a text message with a code to allow the free download via iTunes. The movie can then be viewed on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

One small point to note, when you send the text message to Orange, you do get charged 35 pence for the privilege of receiving the code!

[Orange Film To Go]

Orange has developed a t-shirt that also doubles as an iPhone charger. The t-shirt which is called the Orange Sound Charge is in a prototype phase at the moment. Extensive testing will be carried out at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

The eco charging device uses an existing technology in a revolutionary way; by reversing the use of a product called Piezoelectric film, allowing people to charge their mobile phones whilst enjoying their favourite headline act at Glastonbury. Usually found in modern hi-fi speakers, an A4 panel of the modified film is housed inside a t-shirt which then acts much like an oversized microphone by ‘absorbing’ invisible sound pressure waves. These sound waves are converted via the compression of interlaced quartz crystals into an electrical charge, which is fed into an integral reservoir battery that in turn charges most makes and models of mobile phone. As the ‘device’ is worn, a steady charge is able to be dispensed into the phone via a simple interchangeable lead which fits most handsets.

Orange believe that a sound level of around 80dB (which is roughly the ambient noise level of a busy high street) could produce up to 6 watt hours of power. That should be enough to charge up your iPhone which needs 5 watts. The panel in the t-shirt is removable so unlike most festival attendees, you can wash your t-shirt if you need to! Take a look at the video after the break then let us know what you think in the comments!

[Orange]

Orange UK has launched a unique connected plan which includes an iPhone 4 and iPad 2. This is aimed squarely at customers that want to get both an iPhone 4 and iPad 2 on contract but only receive one monthly bill.

Orange is offering any combination of iPhone 4 or iPad 2 on a single plan at a cost of £65.00 a month ($106). This includes 600 minutes of talk time, unlimited texts, unlimited BT Openzone WiFi access and a 2GB shared data allowance across both devices. The contract duration is two years.

A one off cost, in addition to the monthly plan is payable for the two devices. You can tailor the package to suit; if you want an iPhone 4 16GB or 32GB matched with an iPad 2 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. The only difference in cost is the one off payment. The cheapest combination of an iPhone 4 16GB and iPad 2 16 GB coming in at £99 ($162) and the maximum combination of a 32GB iPhone 4 and 64GB iPad 2 coming in at £299 ($488). All iPad 2 models are 3G and WiFi.

The offer is currently available to existing Orange customers. If you’re not an Orange customer, you can still get a similar deal; although the one off payment price increases by an additional £50 ($82)

Rogers in Canada has been offering something similar for a while; you pay an additional $30 and can share your 6GB of data between iPhone and iPad. However, it costs only a few dollars more to get an extra 5GB for iPad all on its own, so clearly this is still an area for experimentation.

Would you consider taking up an offer like this? Would you want AT&T or Verizon, or your local carrier to offer it?

[Orange]

The head of France Telecom (which is the parent company of iPhone carrier Orange), Stéphane Richard, talking in San Francisco last week, confirmed that Apple would introduce an even smaller SIM card in the future. He also went on to confirm that Apple did want to introduce a device without the need for a SIM card at all.

As you probably know, Apple has been working for years on reducing the size of SIM cards because they need space in the phone. They even thought about a device without any SIM card, that is what is known as the e-SIM project. All of us told them it was a bad idea because the SIM card is a critical piece of the security and authentication process. It would be very difficult for a telco or carrier to manage the customer relationship. We are going to work with them in order to standardize a new format of SIM which takes into accout our needs with security and authentication and also is compatible with their wishes in terms of size.

I understood that the next iPhone would be smaller and thinner and they are definitely seeking some space.

What do you think, is the space saving worth it, and how much smaller can they go?

[All Things D]

UK mobile networks, T-Mobile and Orange have slashed the price of the iPad which could mean the iPad 2 is right around the corner. Both networks currently offer the iPad at a subsidized price when you sign up for a 24 month data contract.

Originally Orange offered the iPad 16 GB WiFi + 3G for £199.99 ($323) for existing customers or £229.99 ($372) for new customers, now that has been slashed to just £99.00 ($161). T-Mobile also now offers the same model iPad for £99.00 ($161)  but only to existing customers. The downside of course is the 2 year data contract that you have to sign up for at around £25.00 ($41) per month.

Usually on the run up to a product refresh, it is common practice for vendors to look to dump inventory by cutting prices. The more cynical amongst us may also point out that the original prices were a little on the extortionate side to start with. This price cut may just enable Orange and T-Mobile to actually sell some iPads now.

Either way, we do expect to hear some concrete iPad 2 news very soon, watch this space!

[Techradar]

UK operators Three and Orange are now listing the white iPhone 4 on their websites. AT&T’s online system is also now showing the white iPhone 4 in their OLAM (Online Account Management) system. This news comes hot on the heels of Best Buy and Vodafone Germany showing the white iPhone 4’s in their internal systems.

The evidence is stacking up, Apple are definitely going to release the iPhone 4 in white soon, despite it now being over seven months since the original launch. This should come as no surprise; there will still be a big demand for the white iPhone 4. Not everyone wants to wait five months for the iPhone 5. There are also many potential customers that are totally unaware of Apple’s product refresh cycles or just simply want a new phone now.

Do any of our readers still want a white iPhone 4? Let us know in the comments!

[Three and Orange, thanks Jared and George. BGR]

We told you last week that Orange and T-Mobile in the UK were set to offer subsidized iPad prices. Well today Orange has announced details on the pricing model for the 3G version of the iPad. Orange will offer the 16 GB model at a cost of £199.0 ($312), the 32 GB model for £249.00 ($390) and the 64 GB model at £349.00 ($546).

Now obviously the prices are subject to you signing a 24 month contract for data. Orange has two on offer here; one for existing Orange customers which is offered at £25.00 ($39) a month, this provides 1GB of anytime data as well as a further 1GB of quiet time data (Midnight - 4pm). WiFi access is also provided through BT Openzone.  Orange say WiFi is unlimited; however it does carry a fair usage limit, capped at 3GB. New Orange customers will get the same allowances, but will have to pay an additional £2.00 ($3.13) for the privilege.

Pre-Orders will be available  from November 27th.

This move will likely lead to similar offers from other UK networks, the question is, will it spread worldwide and is the pricing reasonable? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Orange] Thanks to Simon for the tip.

Orange and T-Mobile UK both announced that they'll be offering subsidized pricing options for iPads purchased with their data plans. Users must agree to an 18 or 24 month contract in order to grab an iPad with the discounts, which may reach as high as 62% off retail price. That would equate to a $250 price tag in the US for the $649 WiFi + 3G model.

Could we see similar subsidies offered on US carriers? Would you be willing to sign a 2 year contract if Verizon or AT&T were to offer similar subsidized pricing? Let us know in the comments!

[Orange]

Even before Apple announced the iPhone 4 was coming to the US, UK, France, Germany, and Japan on June 24, AT&T announced new, tiered and capped data plans and aggressive upgrade options for the new handset. Internationally...? Cricket chirps.

So here's where the power of the TiPb nation comes in. We've put as much as we could find below, but if you know more about carrier plans and upgrade options in the UK, France, Germany, or Japan, drop it in the comments and we'll update the post.

UK iPhone 4 pricing

O2 UK

Monthly plans begin at 100 minutes and 500 MB of data priced at £25 for a 24-month contract and £30 for an 18-month contract and ramp up to unlimited calling and 1 GB of data priced at £60/£65. A footnote to O2's pricing matrix indicates, however, that the carrier will continue running a "promotion" offering unlimited data for all smartphones until October, at which time the company will offer additional data in 500 MB (£5) and 1 GB (£10) buckets.

For £20 a month you can buy off your existing contract to become eligible for upgrade faster. [MacRumors]

Vodafone UK

Leaked [Engadget]

France iPhone 4 pricing

Pending...

Germany iPhone 4 pricing

Pending...

Japan iPhone 4 pricing

Softbank

Black only (no info on white), pre-orders begin June 15, 5pm online and in store. Proof of identity required.

• 57,600 yen ($624) for the 32GB model
• 46,080 yen ($500) for the 16GB model
• COD or 24 payments of 2,400 yen/1,920 yen.
• Value plan Unlimited Data for 4,410 yen per month
• Basic plan starts at 1,029 yen a month, tops out at 4,410 for unlimited
• Value plan subsidizes 1,920 yen a month for 24 months.
• Basic plan subsidizes 1,440 yen a month for 24 months.

A two year commitment for a 32GB iPhone 4 will cost you 57,600 yen but return 46,080 yen in discounts bringing a total difference of 11,530 yen or around $125 USD. A 16GB iPhone 4 will cost 46,080 yen with 46,080 yen discount or a whopping 0 yen!

[Mobile Japan via 9to5Mac]

Keep it coming!

Orange was first out the gate with iPad 3G data plans in the UK, and now O2 and Vodafone are finally showing their hands as well. The plans certainly look more flexible than AT&T's US plans, though the lack of real unlimited data is apparent. No ability to add the iPad to an existing account like Rogers in Canada either.

Orange UK iPad data plans

• 5p (per MB)
• £2 200MB/day
• £7.50 1GB/7 days
• £15 3G/month
• £25 10GB/month

The last two plans also include access to Orange's Wi-Fi hotspots.

O2 iPad data plans

• £2 500MB/day
• £10 1GB/30 days
• £15 3GB/30 days

All plans are recurring and include access to O2's Wi-Fi hotspots.

Vodafone iPad data plans

• £10.00 250MB per month
• £25.00 5GB per month

[Apple Online Store UK, O2, thanks for the details, Chris!]

If you're picking up an iPad Wi-Fi + 3G in the UK, let us know which carrier and what plan you're picking up with it. And what you think of the rates.

Did France Telecom/Orange exec Stéphane Richard just get caught off guard enough to confirm the immanent arrival of Apple's iTablet/iSlate, with a webcam? NowhereElse.fr has the video clip (go to 6:10 to see the relevant bit), and Techcrunch provides the translation for those who don't understand French:

Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: According to weekly Le Point, in a couple of days Apple will be launching its tablet computer …
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: … equipped with a webcam.
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: Are Orange customers going to be able to enjoy it?
Stéphane Richard: Of course!

We're still waiting on Apple to announce it (or announce the rumored Jan. 27 announcement!), however. And word on whether or not Steve Jobs has hopped a plane to France, ready to kung-fu death-touch his loose lipped Euro carrier partner...

Orange UK sold 30,000 iPhones on release day, despite their dodgy unlimited data = 750MB, and despite the iPhone already being available on rival O2 UK since 2007. By contrast, Verizon launched the much-hyped, geek-liked Droid for the first time on any network, anywhere, ever, and sold -- according to Bloomberg -- 100,000 over the weeked. Three and a bit times as much sounds almost as good as their "5x the 3G coverage of AT&T" commercials. But then the US is a much bigger market and Verizon a much bigger carrier, and Orange has only a day, not a weekend, but whatev...

The iPhone 3GS, as a third data point, sold over 1,000,000 it's first weekend out the gate (300,000+ of those estimated to have been on AT&T). Sure, that was international, but then the iPhone 3GS was available internationally, all under the same brand, in several countries at the same time. Verizon licensed the Droid trademark, so even when the same device rolls out in Canada and Europe, it won't be the Droid but the Milestone, which is 5x less the geek name sex-appeal.

What does this all mean? iPhone mindshare is still huge and demand in countries that were exclusive to one carrier is still high. In part, this may be because there's a single, global iPhone brand (and feature set) for consumers to identify with, and rather than controlled by a carrier (like Droid), it's controlled only to Apple -- so it might just appear on your favorite carrier one day as well, be it Bell/Telus, Orange/Vodafone, or Verizon...

[via AppleInsider and BGR]

Long anticipated, longer rumored, the iPhone is finally set to hit UK's Orange network this November 10. Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U are both expected to offer the Orange version of the Apple iPhone, though there's no word yet on pricing (they're -- sigh -- looking to "add value" rather than "reduce cost").

With O2 exclusivity ended (but the iPhone still for sale on their network), Vodafone ramping up soon as well, and rumors of 3 next year as well, so UK iPhone lovers will have what US readers still lack -- a huge amount of carrier choice.

Orange claims 200,000 registrations on their iPhone "interest" page. Are you one of them?

[Guardian via Engadget Mobile]

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Orange UK is set to start offering the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS according to ITProPortal. Previously exclusive to O2 in the UK, that deal is said to end on Oct. 9, clearing the way for some competition in the UK market. (At least beyond T-Mobile smuggling in a few units from Germany...)

Orange was previously the exclusive French iPhone provider until Bouygues-Telecom got into the game, and these latest deals seem to indicate Apple is serious about increasing their customer base.... at least outside the US. (Though it's admittedly easier internationally where almost all providers are GSM and on similar frequencies).

Rumors about Orange getting the iPhone hit TiPb back in May, but there remain no details yet on when and how much. If you're in the UK, however, let us know if you're planning to make the jump to Orange when you can.

[Thanks bengillam for the tip!]

Updated: To address some of the comments, we edited out the URL field to protect the source, but it was not the public facing web address mentioned below. It was local intranet address. Of course, anything is fake-able, so we'll just have to wait and see if -- ever -- Apple and Orange UK make an announcement... or not.

Seems strange to be writing about iPhone 3G launches when there are so many next-generation iPhone rumors flying around now, doesn't it? Then again, there have been rumors about Orange UK getting the iPhone going back to the early days of iPhone 3G. Now, however, a helpful tipster has stumbled across what might be the first step towards confirmation:

iPhone 3G has shown up on internal systems at Orange UK (see the above pic), something that typically happens 6-8 weeks before a handset starts shipping on the network.

O2 has been exclusively carrying the iPhone in the UK since just after the original iPhone was first released, but competition is a Good Thing, right?

Any of our UK mates think iPhone on Orange is brilliant, yeah?

2008 has come and gone and Apple is still adding regions and carriers to their iPhone 3G rollout. This time it's the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia according to Macworld:

UAE-based provider Emirates Telecommunications—aka "Etisalat"—will be selling the iPhone and providing service to both countries "later this month." The deal was announced in an advertisement in an English-language paper in the region.

Meanwhile, long time iPhone carrier, Orange in France, has seen it's exclusivity arrangement shattered by French courts (the same ones that said Amazon was being anti-competitive by offering free shipping -- don't get me started!). Ars Technica weighs in:

According to a report by Bloomberg, France Télécom, Orange's parent company, was "shocked by this decision" and, naturally, intends to appeal. Bouygues Télécom, France's third-largest mobile carrier and the company that brought the original complaint to the Competition Council, told Bloomberg that "talks are under way" with Apple to secure a distribution agreement. Vivendi's SFR subsidiary, France's second-largest carrier, also intends to strike a deal with Apple to sell iPhones.

Ars thinks a similar challenge in the US could theoretically lead to T-Mobile carrying the iPhone, but it's TiPb's understanding that T-Mo USA (unlike their parents in Europe) doesn't use the same 3G bands and hence would be limited to EDGE-only iPhone service (likewise, during the Round Robin, we had to run the Android G1 on EDGE on AT&T and Rogers).

So, anyone in the UAE and SA plan on picking up an iPhone? Anyone in France psyched about more carrier choice? Let us know!

"We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone," a spokesman said

What do you think? Would you buy a product because it looks like it's going to be popular? What do you think the 'actors' are going to do when Orange Poland asks for personal information? Is this the most ridiculous act of advertising ever?

ReadVia

WOW! iPhone plans and prices are dropping faster than Rogers stock these days. With a 22 country launch on Friday (and a few days later in France -- vive la difference, eh?), some with multiple co-exclusive carriers, each with different tiers of service (from cheap, all-you-can-eat unlimited to tiny $$$ per byte ultra-rip-offs) it's a lot to keep track of -- but we're still going to try!

Read on for the good, the bad, and a lot of ugly!

Rogers/Fido Canada - WAR!

On the Canadian front (and yes, it is a war here people!) rumors of an Apple/Rogers falling out are probably going to fall out. My guess? Nothing much there unless Rogers is fanning the scarcity flame in order to get people who might be sitting on the fence or holding it to suddenly panic and rush the line on Friday. Apple Stores in Canada, unlike the US, have only pointed to Rogers/Fido for availability, and if Apple is sending units away from Canada to Europe, it may have more to do with the power of the Euro. (Nintendo's been accused of doing that with the Wii for months to profit from the stronger currency).

Telcel Mexico

2 year contracts south of south of the border in Mexico as well: MX$459/599/799 for 200/300/400 min., 100/150/200 SMS and MBs of data, with the 8GB handset going for MX$3419/2159/889 and the 16GB for MX$4689/3419/2159.

Ayaiyai! That's US$77 for a tiny 200MB!

Vodafone New Zealand

The good news? Due to the international date line, New Zealand will be getting the iPhone first and Hawaii last. In Aukland, New Zealand, the lineup is already forming to be the first (after a certain Portuguese un-boxer) to get the blessed device.

The bad news? They'll be paying out the pouch for it. 2 year contracts for NZ$80/130/250 for 120/250/600 min., 600 SMS, and 250/500/1000MB of data and 8GB handsets for NZ$549/449/199 and 16GB for NZ$699/599/359.

Ouch! That's US$189 for 1GB of data! Once again, the closer you are to a pole, the higher your prices!

Optimus Portugal

Thanks to Mário for sending this in!

Optimus (Orange) in Portugal has pre-paid, post-paid monthly, and 2-year contract prices. Contract minimum monthly usage plans are €30/45/64 which get you €0.149/0.129/0.099 per minute or SMS, 100/300/500 free in-network SMS, and MB of data, with the 8GB handset running €250/200/150 and 16GB, €350/300/250.

Vodafone Portugal

Meanwhile, Vodaphone is offering the Portuguese 2 year contracts as well: €29.90/44.90/64.90, with 100/230/500 min. and SMS, and a miserly 250MB of data, with an 8GB handset going for €299/219/129 and 16GB for €389/309/219.

Yikes! That's US$102 for 250MB?!

AT&T USA

AT&T Mobility's President of Network Services has his own podcast where he goes over iPhone 3G performance. Check it out.

And while nowhere near as hackneyed as the iReady riff, Apple has posted its own information on how to prepare yourself for launch day.

Apple's VP of Retail, Ron Johnson, tried to set expectations: he claims they'll be taking 30 customers at a time, be able to handle 100 customers an hour, and aim to complete activation in 10-15 min. But they won't rush you if you want to take your time (though the crowd behind you, torches and pitchforks in hand, might help keep you moving at a brisk pace!)

Although the date of July 17 is a bit confusing, given the international 22-country rollout is set for July 11, Orange is at least doing a better job than some other countries by delivering unlimited data with their plans.

And what plans are those?

€149 for the 8GB iPhone 3G, and €199 for the 16GB. Plans start at €49 for 2hrs of voice, 2hrs of night/weekend voice, and 50 SMS and top out at €149 for 12hrs/12hrs and 1000 SMS.

Special offers will be made for business customers to "change their mobile", and for upgrades from existing iPhone (2G) sets/plans.

Read

French iPhone exclusive, Orange, has just added to the iPhone country count by announcing a deal to bring the (presumably next-gen 3G version) device to:

Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Orange’s African markets later this year.

France Telecom spokesman Bertrand Deronchaine said Orange will be the exclusive iPhone provider in Belgium and Romania, with co-exclusive or non-exclusive deals in other countries. He declined to offer more details about the arrangement.

What might that portent, if anything, for the US, UK, France, Germany, and Ireland?

Table shattering score card now link list:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T) 

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel),  Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil),  Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel),  Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

So, with the board filling up like the cable car to WWDC, the question remains: who's next?

(PS: We're not claiming iPhone Candyland... yet.)

Read Via + Via