UK iPhone

Not content with stealing license fee money from a helpless British public, the BBC has now turned its attention to iPhone app developers trying to meet a need. The Rewat.ch app, which would have helped iPhone users to find and watch BBC shows using its iPlayer functionality, has been trashed by the BBC legal department, despite every effort by the developers to meet any requirement, including making it free.

There are two possible conclusions: either the Beeb is shooting itself in the foot again, or it has plans to release its own app, and is clearing the way by eliminating the competition, in the same way that the free and useful railway timetable apps were shut down by National Rail so that it could launch its own ridiculously overpriced paid app with no alternative for long-suffering train passengers. Good old government monopoly strikes again.

UPDATE: The developer of the National Rail app has pointed out that his company is completely independent of National Rail, and that they have developed the app completely off their own bat. They pay a license fee for access to National Rail’s data, which is available to anyone who wishes to pay the fee. Furthermore there are free apps available still. So this is NOT an example of anti-competitive behaviour! Apologies to Dave and all at Agant.

We’ll be doing a full review of all the rail apps shortly.

Apple, maker of the iPhone and other cool stuff, has made it to the top of Fortune’s list of Most Admired Companies. Not just the list of computer companies. The whole list.

It’s hard to argue with this: Apple has completely transformed both the music industry and the mobile phone industry with the iPod and iPhone, and continues to be just about the only computer company increasing its profits and earnings year on year, as it produces the most exciting hardware and software in the field.

So congrats to Apple and Steve Jobs, and here’s to even more insanely great stuff! Can’t wait for the iPad myself…

O2 have confirmed that they will unlock customer’s iPhones at no charge at the end of their contract, thus freeing them to sign up with Orange or (next year) Vodafone for continued service on their iPhone.

So if you are suffering under an O2 contract and looking to get on a better network, but not keen on shelling out money to replace your perfectly-good iPhone, it’s good news. As the official Orange iPhone launch day is tomorrow, 10 November, you might want to start calling O2 customer service to find out how to get free…

This is double-plus ungood news if true: the BBC have discovered portions of Orange’s terms and conditions (T&C’s) relating to the iPhone that seem to rule out any “non-Orange” streaming. Presumably including Spotify, and possibly even Facebook messaging:

“Not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing, non-Orange internet based video). Should such use be detected notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing.”

It’s certainly true that Orange have a history of “locking down” their phones more than most, but whether Apple would allow them to prevent specific apps from running is another question entirely. It’s not clear how the “Network protection controls” would work; not sure how they could tell data requested by Spotify apart from data requested by Safari. Although perhaps they would just block Spotify’s servers?

In any event, this is a huge question mark over Orange’s iPhone offering, and I’m now thinking we should wait for further clarification, and if possible, actual proof that Orange iPhones work as they should, before taking the plunge with Orange.

UPDATE: This seems to have been a bit of a storm in a teacup; there have been no reports of Orange banning services such as Spotify. It’s likely that the T&Cs have simply been drafted by a paranoid legal team intent on protecting Orange from some illusory threats. But be aware of Orange’s relatively mean 750Mb/month data limit; this is less than Vodafone’s 1Mb per month limit.

According to the Telegraph, Orange has secured the rights to distribute the iPhone in the UK. O2 will not lose its contract, just its exclusivity.

Although the contract giving O2 exclusivity was rumoured to be expiring this September, this is the first official confirmation that this will be the case.

This is fantastic news for long-suffering iPhone owners in the UK, currently tied to a network with lousy coverage and painfully slow data speeds. As their contracts come up for renewal, they will be able to choose Orange, whose network is much better.

Ironically I switched from Orange to O2 when I bought my iPhone about a year and a half ago. Now that my contract is up, I’m looking forward to moving back!

UPDATE: Vodafone are getting the iPhone too, although not until next year. So it looks like UK iPhoners are going to be spoilt for choice. With both Voda and Orange having much better 3G networks than O2, the latter will probably say goodbye to its last iPhone subscriber in about two years time, when all those who got the 3GS recently come to the end of their unprecedented two-year contracts!

UPDATE: I signed up with Orange for notification of when I can get an iPhone from them, and they sent an email saying “Not long now.” Let’s hope that’s the truth…

Also I see in the news that O2 “haven’t decided” whether they will unlock iPhones if their customers want to go to Orange or Vodafone. Honestly, I can’t see this as being a big deal. If you upgraded to the 3GS then you are locked into a two-year contract anyway. If you didn’t, you probably want a new phone, especially if like me you have an 8Gb 1st-gen phone. I suppose for some people who are happy with their 3G, this could be bad news, but I can’t see how O2 would benefit from pissing people off even more.

Apple’s contracts with the European networks may not be as finalised as previously thought. France Telecom’s Orange unit has contradicted recent press reports of a signed deal with Apple. Although the executive confirmed the talks, he warned that “any deal will be several weeks away”.

Of course this does not mean that O2’s deal for the UK market is similarly delayed, but since Apple will most likely want to announce a simultaneous launch date in all three markets, the report, if accurate, may mean an announcement is still some way off, and a launch date of late 2007 may be the best we can hope for.

Apple are believed to be aiming for a simultaneous launch in the three main Euro markets, namely the UK, France and Germany, in the same way that the iTunes Music Store was launched in 2004, with further rollouts to smaller Euro countries next year.