Source : http://www.mobiletoday.co.ukIn the UK, Apple and O2 would face an obstacle: people eager to acquire a 3G iPhone in the Apple shops will not be able to profit from the discount that makes the iPhone much less expensive, and even "free" if bought with various subscription plans.
The problem is related to the incapacity of the employees of the Apple Store to make customers sign a contract and to validate it before ringing up the sale. If no solution is found, Apple will only be able to sell in its shops the iPhone equipped with a prepaid card, and only at the full price.
In France, not to be confronted with these problems, Apple Premium Resellers will become Orange agents, which will allow them access to the data network of the operator(Orange) in order to fill and to validate the contracts related to the iPhone.
[translation by crispin]
