O2 Rumoured to Have Exclusive Rights to Sell Palm Pre in UK

The UK mobile network operator, O2 is reported to have secured exclusive rights to sell the Palm Pre smartphone, to add to its existing exclusivity with the Apple iPhone. The Guardian newspaper, reported the news without citing any sources.

The newspaper said that O2, which is owned by Spain's Telefonica is believed to have seen off fierce competition for the device from France Telecom's Orange, which it also beat to the iPhone at the last minute.

Earlier this year, Palm's chairman, Jon Rubinstein, said that launching a hit device was the vital first step on the road to recovery. "We've been fighting the battle with basically both hands tied behind our back for the past year and half," he said. "Now we're getting on the playing field, and we're going to be extremely competitive. But it's the beginning."

Rumours that Telefonica was about to secure the exclusive rights to the Palm Pre initially surfaced in March. The Spanish newspaper, Expansion reported at the time that the operator is expecting to have the handset "before summer". However, since the news report, Palm has tried to distance itself from the rumours, blaming a "misunderstanding"

On the web: The Guardian

Posted to the site on 2nd July 2009