Apple's iPhone has come under attack yet again but this time it is not the inflated costs of the handset or the risk of it being hacked that is causing problems, it’s the competition that is blighting Apple's newest addition.
Telecoms giant Vodaphone has taken Apple to court in order to overturn the iPhone exclusivity contract awarded to Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile.
Now a preliminary injunction has been granted and T-Mobile has been forced to release a version of the iPhone in Germany that is not locked into a specific network or contract.
UK T-Mobile has stepped up to reassure customers that there is no indication that the case could be replicated in the UK. A Vodafone spokesman said: "This is particular to Germany. The regulatory situation is very different from the UK, so we won't be doing it here."
In addition, unlocked handsets are now flooding eBay as hackers unlock them before selling them on to people holding contracts with other service providers. And according to a recent survey by GfK NOP, UK consumers have been turned off buying the iPhone as it is too expensive, retailing at £269, and forces them into an O2 contract for a minimum of 18 months.
The research showed that only 2 per cent were even considering adding it to their Christmas list indicating that the iPhone is not quite hitting the mark for the average UK consumer. While O2 has refused to give precise figures for sales over the launch weekend of November 5, reports have suggested that they were far below the expected levels.
Source:http://www.fairinvestment.co.uk/
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