New IPhone Threatens to Reheat European Carrier Price War
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Last time Vodafone Group Plc said no to subsidizing a new iPhone on Apple Inc.’s terms, consumers across Europe fled to operators that offered discounts and the handset became one of the most popular devices in history.
As Apple unveils a new version of the iPhone today, carriers want to avoid that mistake from five years ago. Vodafone and peers including Telefonica SA, having started moving away from subsidizing smartphones this year in markets such as Spain and the U.K., may be compelled back to compete on prices.