O2 CEO: Tens of Thousands of IPhones Sold in UK Over Weekend

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Telefonica's UK O2 mobile phone operator saw customer levels increase threefold over the weekend, as tens of thousands of people flocked to its shops to buy Apple's iPhone, O2 Chief Executive Peter Erskine said Monday.

O2, Apple's exclusive iPhone network operator in the U.K., said that "tens of thousands" of people bought the iPhone in the first weekend since going on sale, adding that two-thirds of those people were new customers, from rival operators or not currently on a contract.

O2's Erskine told reporters that O2 sold more iPhones than Carphone Warehouse Group over the weekend.

"The interest level has been absolutely phenomenal, making it the biggest selling phone ever for us, in one weekend," said Erskine. "Footfall was three times higher than the same weekend last year," said Erskine.

Erskine declined to give specific numbers on how many iPhones had sold, but said that it was inline with expectations. Previously, O2's UK Chief Executive Matthew Key said he expected to sell "hundreds of thousands" of iPhones in the U.K. during the Christmas and New Year trading period.

O2 has recruited 1,400 new staff to sell the iPhone, Apple's hit product, which combines a phone with a digital music player.

-By Daniel Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9264; dan.thomas@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 12th November 2007