Yes - it is looking like it is really happening...

The iPhone that we have come to love and adore maybe - just maybe - being released to the open market - to fly free in a competitive open market.

We shoudl then see prices of the iPhone 3g and iPhone 3gs plummet with stiff competition between the current incumbents O2 iPhone contract holders - with the exclusive arrangement - and the new upstarts like new iPhone 3g contract orange providers - and potentially iPhone 3g Vodafone ...

With this much competition, they will likely try to out-do each other on price andn the iPhone will become a commodity - competing on price alone - because the different networks will not be able to differentiate themselves on the iPhone itelsef - it is afterall the same iPhone - so price will be the only thing they can differentiate on.

So the prices should come down considerably...

That is unless they have a closet cartel arrangement going on - to maintain high prices, agreed secretly between them.

Do not think this is not possible.

Yes, it is totally illegal - but with this much business at stake it is equally highly likely to happen.

So watch this space.

What will happen to the iPhone contract - particularly the iPhone 3g Orange contract ?