European Carriers Vie to Sell iPhone

With AT&T reportedly having activated over 600,000 iPhones as of Monday, it's no surprise that European carriers are eager to jump on Apple's bandwagon. Numerous reports have pointed to wireless carrier O2 being chosen as Apple's exclusive iPhone partner in the United Kingdom, but little concrete evidence has surfaced.

The BBC seemed to back the speculation this morning, saying the iPhone should arrive in the UK before Christmas. However, the story, which has been since referenced worldwide, pointed to unspecified "press reports" as its source.

While Vodafone, the largest wireless carrier in Europe, was first assumed to be a shoo-in for the iPhone, analysts have pointed out that the company is heavily pushing its own music offerings and 3G service, both of which would not be compatible with Apple's device.

O2, on the other hand, has shied away from offering 3G speeds due to a slow uptake and expensive data costs in Europe. The carrier, owned by Spain's Telefonica, is also reportedly agreeing to give Apple a share of revenue from iPhone buyers. It's not clear if the deal includes Telefonica's Spanish wireless carrier, Movistar.

In France, Orange is reported to be in the process of securing a deal similar to O2, while T-Mobile is the expected partner for Germany. In South Africa, Vodacom -- owned by Vodafone and South Africa's Telkom -- is planning to offer the iPhone to its customers.

But at this point, no deals have been officially announced, and no timetables have been set for an iPhone launch overseas. For its part, O2 said in a statement that "We have not signed a deal with Apple," but declined to confirm whether talks were taking place.

Apple previously said it planned to release the iPhone in Europe before the end of 2007 and in Asia sometime next year.