T-Mobile in Talks to Sell iPhone in the UK

O2 UK may be close to losing its exclusivity to Apple's iPhone after T-Mobile UK confirmed that it is in talks to sell the iconic handset. The mobile operator told The Register that it is in talks with Apple, although it seems the deal will exclude the latest 3GS model.

O2 recently secured the exclusive rights to resell the Palm Pre, which has been labeled by reviewers as a competitor to the iPhone. The move has been thought to have upset some people at Apple managing the sales of the iPhone.

Orange UK is also rumoured to be in talks with Apple, to link up with its French arm which is already selling the smartphone.

Apple was effectively locked into exclusive arrangements with O2 when it first launched the original iPhone, but later launches of the 3G model in other countries were more relaxed and single-operator monopolies were rarer.

On the web: The Register

Posted to the site on 14th July 2009