France: Sales double with multi-carrier distribution

Here’s prima facia evidence that broadening availability results in greater sales. But, should this news be viewed as a source of hope for long-suffereing iPhone users here in the good ol’ USA? Probably not, at least in the short term.

MarketWatch reports that increasing the number of distributors in Europe has resulted in rapidly growing sales. Specifically, in France, Orange plus two additional carriers—Bouygues Telecom and SFR—has resulted in a doubling of sales.

“The expansion of iPhone distribution has clearly benefited Apple, helping it to more than double sales in three months,” said Pierre Ferragu, analyst, Bernstein.

In the same three month period, the iPhone’s market share jumped from 21 percent to 32 percent with Research In Motion’s Blackberry being the big loser.

Further, analysts say that similarities between France, where distribution has already expanded, and the U.K. where new carriers are about to come online likely means a similar sales jump across the English channel.

“Exclusivity in France ended in April. Our numbers show that shelf share tripled and market share doubled quarter on quarter,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston. “Given that the U.K. market is pretty similar and the brand strong there, yes, you can extrapolate that.”

Following the end of exclusivity, the resulting sales rise made France the biggest market for the iPhone Europe. In the U.K. where the market is even more fragmented, sales and market share gains could be even more impressive.

Throw us a line

It’s easy to read this new as a hopeful sign for long-suffering iPhone users in the United States where AT&T still owns the exclusive right to sell and service the iPhone. However, today’s iPhone requires a UTMS network, which means only T-Mobile, decidedly an also ran here, would be the only carrier able to sell Apple’s game changing handset as is.

Yes, there are rumors of a worldmode iPhone, but that won’t be available until at least the third quarter of 2010.

But, you guys in France and the U.K. go ahead and have without us—we’ll be O.K. (sniffle)…

Related posts:

1. iPhone sales to ramp to 80 million by 2012
2. France sells contract-less iPhones at hefty price
3. Apple to sell at least 36 million iPhones in 2010
4. Apple grows its smartphone share
5. Verizon sold 100K Droids in first weekend