iPhone Roundup; Sky TV App, Orange Availability and O2 Unlocking

There have been a few significant happenings for iPhone users in the UK today including a launch of a Sky TV application, Orange starts selling iPhones and O2 have said that they will unlock out-of-contrat iPhones so users can switch to other networks.

First the release of the Sky Mobile TV News and Sport app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. As the title suggests the app is for watching live news and sports channels on your iPhone or iPod Touch. With this app you can get live coverage of all televised Barclays Premier League and SPL matches as well as UEFA games. Football isn’t the only thing on SKy and you can also watch cricket, rugby, golf and horse racing. Although the app is free to download, to watch these channels you will need to subscribe to the Sky Mobile TV service which costs £6 per month. You will also need access to a WiFi network as Sky are unable to offer this service over 3G at the present.

Two years ago O2 won the exclusive rights to sell Apple’s iPhone in the UK, now the exclusivity has ended and from today you can get an iPhone from Orange. Orange, who have the largest 3G coverage in the UK, are offering the iPhone 8GB for free with a 24 month £29.36 contract (with 150 minutes and 250 texts). You can get the 16GB iPhone 3GS on the same contract for £125. If you prefer not to be bound to a contract then the iPhone is available on pay-as-you-go starting from £343.

O2, it seems, aren’t too bitter about loosing their exclusive rights. If you got an iPhone from O2 (and your contract has ended) then you are free to take your iPhone to other networks.

In an interview with Times Online, Matthew Key, head of O2, said “once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator….”