The cat's out of the bag - you should be able to snuggle up with your own official iPhone by December 31.
Well, the secret's finally out... sort of. Vodafone Australia has announced that it will sell the iPhone on the Vodafone network in ten of its markets around the globe, including Australia. And, the door's still open for an unlocked version.
Details aren't so much scant on the ground as "non-existent", with the press release merely noting that Vodafone would sell the iPhone "later this year" with no details on which model, pricing or even a time scale.
Checking with Vodafone PR representatives, we were told that more details would be forthcoming in the next few days... or possibly weeks... but that Russell Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer at Vodafone Australia had issued a statement:
“Vodafone Australia is enormously pleased to be included in the agreement to sell the iPhone to our customers later this year.
“The iPhone will be the perfect addition to Vodafone Australia’s mobile handset range. The iPhone’s Australian launch is well-timed to coincide with our plans to deliver an enhanced mobile internet and entertainment experience to customers.
“The iPhone has already proved to be extremely popular with customers in other parts of the world and Vodafone is confident that today’s announcement will be well received by all Australians who are keen to get their hands on their own iPhone.”
Not too much to go on then, although it it curious that Hewitt chose to use the phrase "included in the agreement" in his statement, which smacks of a possibly unlocked, carrier-free iPhone, as had been rumoured previously.
At least now we've got something of a timeline -- namely, that you should be able to snuggle up with your own officially purchased iPhone by December 31st at the very latest -- presuming they don't all sell out by then.