Apple goes Orange in UK November 10

Californian manufacturer Apple is preparing to unleash its iconic handset on the mass market, with UK mobile carrier Orange set to sell the device from November 10.

The iPhone will retail in Orange shops and online, Orange HMV concessions, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U, with the 3G model available for free on tariffs of £30 or more on a 24 month contract and the 3GS available for free on tariffs of £45 or more.

In a bid to appeal to the business user, Orange is also launching a “traveller” plan with inclusive global roaming call and data allowance at £125 month.

Prepay customers topping up by £50 at purchase will be able to buy an iPhone 3G for £333, and will get 250MB of data each month, plus unlimited use of the BT Openzone wifi network. iPhone tethering bundles are also available starting at £5 per month.

Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, said: “Since we announced the iPhone on Orange we have already seen more than a quarter of a million customers register their interest on our website.”

Orange has existing deals in place to offer the device in other territories and now offers the iPhone in 28 countries.

On Friday China Unicom began selling the device, in the world’s biggest mobile market. However the device is understood to have met with a lukewarm reaction in China, where it has gone on sale without wifi connectivity, due to Chinese legislation preventing the sales of wifi-enabled handsets.

Local press reports suggest many potential customers who were interested in owning an iPhone in China have already bought one smuggled in from Hong Kong.