14 DAY TRIAL // There seems to be no limit to the amount of things that can be deduced by poking around in Apple's code. The latest tidbit found in the iPhone's firmware indicates that Apple may have already started preparing for the device's launch in Italy.
Although more iPhone launches are unlikely this calendar year, Apple is nevertheless preparing for the next wave. Considering that the iPhone launch has so far followed the same pattern as the iTunes Store, Italy is one of the next candidates for the iPhone. Italian iPhone news site iphonetribu has dissected the most recent iPhone update and has found various references to support this.
Within the latest patch, one can find a preference file labeled "TIM_Italy.plist" amongst other similar files for the various official iPhone carriers so far. TIM stands for Telecom Italia Mobile, an Italian carrier, so the file is well placed amongst those for AT&T, O2, T-Mobile, and Orange. TIM is partially owned by Telefonica, which also operates O2 in the UK. This further suggests that Apple might have already chosen the carrier considering the existing partnership with Telefonica's O2.
While all this might sound like solid confirmation, it is important to remember that similar files have previously been found in the iPhone software. Earlier this year, before the European announcements, the US version of the iPhone software contained references to both T-Mobile and Vodafone, and of the two only one actually carries the iPhone today. While the preference file may not be an entirely accurate indication that Apple has chosen TIM, it does prove that Apple is in talks with the company, and preparing in case that they do eventually reach an agreement. Since we are looking at a couple of months before the next round of announcements, Apple still has some time to play the negotiation game with the various carriers before having to make a final decision.