Telstra won’t have the iPhone for 11 July launch – report

It seems Telstra will miss out on the iPhone frenzy, with the carrier unlikely to have the new device available for the 11 July launch date.

Apple is reported to have provided the carrier with several thousands of iPhones, but talks fell through when agreements could not be reached over whether Telstra-owned products, such as the navigation tool Whereis, should come preloaded on the device.

Competitors Vodafone and Optus are still yet to release any pricing details for the phone, but insist plans will be revealed soon, both working frantically to quash any rumours spreading over the internet.

Optus plans to use the iPhone to attract users to its 3G network, which at present only accounts for 20% of all its users. 3G offers faster download speeds and easier access to online features.

Tim Smeallie, Citigroup telecommunications analyst, told The Australian Financial Review it was likely Telstra would offer the device eventually, but that Telstra’s applications would likely have to be added manually, adding to the cost.

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