Czech Carrier Dumps iPhone Over Apple's 'Business Terms'

o2 logoBloomberg briefly reports that Czech carrier Telefonica/O2 has apparently announced that it will cease selling all iPhone models, objecting to Apple's "business terms".

Telefonica Czech Republic AS won’t sell Apple’s new iPhone 4S and will end sales of all Apple’s models because of Apple’s business terms, Hospodarske Noviny reported, citing Telefonica’s local spokesman Hany Farghali.

No additional details on the reasons behind the fall-out have been made available in the Bloomberg report, and the original report from the Czech newspaper does not yet appear to be available online.

Dow Jones Newswires reported last week that Telefonica Czech Republic AS and Apple were still trying to reach a deal for the iPhone 4S, talks that have apparently ended without an agreement being reached.

"We haven't agreed with Apple on mutually acceptable conditions yet," Hany Farghali told Dow Jones Newswires in a telephone interview.

...

Telefonica Czech, majority owned by Spain's Telefonica SA (TEF), is unlikely to add the iPhone 4S model to its pre-holiday offering, said a person familiar with the local mobile market who asked to remain anonymous.

Instead, the company will focus on already much higher volume sales of smart phones based on rival operating systems, including Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android and Nokia Corp.'s (NOK) Symbian.

Telefonica is not the only iPhone carrier in the Czech Republic, as both Vodafone and T-Mobile are also offering the device through their Czech units. Consequently, customers looking to obtain the iPhone in the country will still have options, but Telefonica's departure is an interesting one given the efforts other carriers around the world are making to win the right to offer the device.

Popular Stories

apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
prioritize notifications ios 18 4

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
ios 18 4 ambient music

iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature

Friday February 21, 2025 11:06 am PST by
In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category. You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches in Europe and Asia

Thursday February 20, 2025 8:55 am PST by
Oppo has launched the Find N5, the world's thinnest foldable phone yet. When closed, the book-style foldable measures 8.93mm. That's less than a millimeter thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro, and thinner than the Honor Magic V3, which was the previous record holder. The device is barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Oppo has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the...

Top Rated Comments

acidfast7 Avatar
174 months ago
LOL, when will Americans realize that one doesn't need an operator to have an iP4s outside of the US (unlike in the Us where one can't really get a prepaid uSIM card from any major carrier).

Most people will just buy an unlocked/unbranded/unsubsidized iP4s directly from Apple and drop in any prepaid uSIM that they want to use from any carrier.

Why is this even news?

Their loss. iPhone demand is exploding. The Christmas quarter will bear this out. Those wanting one will simply look elsewhere.
I don't know, I see many more Samsung Galaxy S2s than I do iP3/4s. I also see many people wanting and willing to pay for 4G/LTE.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
174 months ago
This story does not Czech out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Atlantico Avatar
174 months ago
Their loss.
Since Czech O2 calculated that the iPhone demand didn't cover the cost of subsidising the thing, it's actually their gain.

Czech O2 makes more money by not supporting the iPhone, otherwise they wouldn't have dropped it. :cool:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
voonyx Avatar
174 months ago
It appears O2 has altered the deal. Pray they don't alter it any further.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oletros Avatar
174 months ago
Telefonica and Apple didn't agree about conditions so the former won't sell the iPhone. Where's the problem?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
acidfast7 Avatar
174 months ago
What are you smoking, there are iPhone's everywhere in Stockholm.

I actually see a larger portion of the NOKIA N-series and E-series than I've seen anywhere else in the world. I also see a fair amount of SE smartphones as well.

I see more iP3/4 in Stockholm than Frankfurt (split time living in both places), but it's still much less than what I see in the US (grew up in the states and travel back almost monthly.) It baffles my mind, when the contracts are so expensive in the US as well (roughly 2000/2 years).

Smartphone usage in Europe is much more diverse than in the states.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)