mobileu.co.uk

Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS officially available on Orange

From today, O2's exclusive two-year hold on the iPhone comes to an end as rival network Orange begins selling the coveted Apple smartphone.

Ahead of Orange's launch of the 3G and 3GS devices, Carphone Warehouse revealed it expects to shift a million iPhone handsets by Christmas, though analysts have pointed out the distinct similarity in tariffs offered by Orange and O2.

For pay monthly customers, Orange has the lowest-priced deal at £29.36 per month – though that's just 2p less than O2's cheapest tariff. Orange does have something of an edge in offering the more advanced 3GS models – either 16GB or 32GB – on its cheapest deals.

However, Orange's "unlimited" data usage is unlikely to please die-hard mobile internet fans – particularly avid streamers of music or video – since it is capped at 750MB per month.

O2 may also be the better option for anyone who prioritises the roaming charges available on a given deal. The network's International Traveller Service is said to save around 80 per cent on roaming charges, with calls from 35p per minute.

Next year sees Vodafone enter the iPhone market, a move that many hope will finally kick off an iPhone price war.