Could The iPhone Be Coming To Three? (UPDATED!)
With the Vodafone Hutchison merger all approved and whatnot, the big question now is whether or not Three will be getting their great-valued hands on the iPhone. And eagle-eyed tipster Ryan reckons it might be a possibility, with certain hints from 3’s website.
If you direct your browser to www.three.com.au/iphone, you’ll get a big error page. That is, until you look at the new URL: http://store.three.com.au/Apple-iPhone-3G-Coming-Soon.
What does this mean? Maybe nothing, maybe everything. Notice that it’s just the ‘iPhone 3G’ in the URL – it would make a lot of sense for the new VHA entity to launch the old iPhone 3G on 3’s cheaper network, along with some decent data bundles, to grab all those people not springing for the 3GS on Vodafone.
Obviously, we’ve got our fingers crossed for 3 to finally get their hands on the iPhone – it would be a huge win for consumers, especially with a decent X-series type plan. We’ll let you know if we hear anything official like…
UPDATE: This is the problem with approaching companies for comment on rumours – after I asked Three to comment, they told me they’d “look into it”. End result is that they change the site so that now www.three.com/iphone redirects to the Three homepage. Whether this means we were onto something or whether it means they don’t want to get your hopes up is for you to decide…
[Three – Thanks Ryan!]
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Comments
Spot on Nick … 26th or 27th of this month … It is an absolute certainty.
This was lifted from a confirmation e-mail for our new 3 business account.
You will be pleased to know that 3 will be getting the I-Phone later this month (26th June is the planned launch). The plan that we have put you on allows you to get this phone to no to low cost, so please hold off any purchase in the US.
Not perfect English, however, you get the gist.
I find it hard to believe that a notice from 3 would be written in such a manner. It seems a little too casual (”getting”) and the spelling “I-Phone” would be an unusual mistake for a telco.
By the way Bill, you were great in Shaun of the Dead.
Doesn’t make much sense to me. Unless three have changed the way they handle handsets, they won’t get the iPhone. 3G or 3Gs.
and page has disappeared.
Is anyone pre-ordering the iPhone 3G S in Australia? Is there the same level of excitement over here as there is in the US? What about accessories? Is anyone gonna gear up their iPhone 3G S? Compared to the launch of the iPhone, this time around seems to be going under the radar….
http://cygnett.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/sneak-peek-2/
Now that VHA is a reality, they may get it afterall.
They were pretty quick to take it down. Doesn’t seem to work.
I applied for the iPhone plan when they first came out. Had my phone unlocked from Optus, got my plan from ‘3′, and had nothing but trouble. Could NOT get data on 3. Rang support, and did all they suggested. After 45 minutes on the phone with them, still no data. Then they said that they don’t actually support the iPhones, that they can’t help with any Apple issues, and they just have a plan. So if you can’t use the iPhone to get data, too bad. If you need help with your iPhone in a technical way, too bad. You’re now locked into a plan! You can’t get the internet, but too bad, so sad was their response. Still to get out of their clutches!
don’t worry about the above links, try http://i.three.com.au/ . you will find a perfectly formated version of Planet 3 for the iPhone. If you save it as a home screen icon, it even comes up with a nice 3 logo!!
I work for three and at the moment there is no plan on getting the iPhone it may come sometime in the 4th quarter. The 26th of June is definitely not on the road map.
i remember reading this article a while back and laughed at the fact Apple was been so mean to three.
http://apcmag.com/best_value_australian_iphone_plans.htm?page=6
It looks like they have now fixed the link so it just takes you back to the homepage. My bet is that a web designer somewhere in 3 is in alot of trouble.
My iPhone experience on Three has been completely trouble free, so I think it’s a good thing if Three get it for real.
Well, no matter if they get the iphone or not, I am leaving THREE once my contract is up end of this month and possibly going to join Virgin, provided that they are doing similar deal like iphone 3G before. :D
I wouldn’t go to virgin… Vodafone is expanding their coverage as we speak and is going to have the best coverage (and rates) in Aus by the end of August.
Could they have possibly done that link on purpose to get a rumor out there that they might get the iPhone, to stop people jumping ship when the new version comes out?
Taken from OCAU:
“Can confirm that VHA will be getting the iPhone 3G S.
Will be available in Vodafone shops on 26th June and will be in 3 Shops in July.”
check out the link again,
http://store.three.com.au/Apple-iPhone-3G-Coming-Soon
http://store.three.com.au/apple-iphone-3g-Coming-Soon is working now.
In case you didn’t know, 3 Mobile (Hutchison) is going under a merger process with Vodafone.
http://whirlpool.net.au/news/?id=1833
I had the opportunity of speaking to a vodafone rep recently who informed me that they would probably be keeping the ‘3′ brand name alive. Now that the iPhone 3GS has data encryption, it can more typically be marketed to businesses instead of blackberry. 3 Mobile was mainly a city based service previously (because of their lack of reception regionally) and hence only really suited to some businesses and city-folk. After the merger, 3 will have access to the same service and coverage that Vodafone have now (GSM 2100 in most cities and GSM 900 regionally).
To summarise, anything Vodafone has, 3 Mobile will have too.