14 DAY TRIAL // When it comes to the iPhone in Europe, Vodaphone has been mentioned many times as the carrier who was getting the exclusive deal with Apple and recent reports indicate that an announcement is imminent.
Various sites are reporting that according to their sources, Vodaphone is waiting for a good opportunity to announce their partnership with Apple? an opportunity such as Apple announcing that the first million iPhones have been sold. These reports also mention T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse as distribution channels. Though the landmark number of one million iPhones could potentially be reached before the end of this week, legal issues might cause delays as the contract drafted in Germany is said to have not met with the approval of Vodafone's English lawyers.
It looks like that's that and Vodaphone is getting the iPhone contract in Europe, however, according to a The Times Online recent report, Vodaphone is actually out of the picture.
It would seem that O2 has managed to win the exclusive rights for Apple's iPhone in the UK and that negotiations are continuing with mobile phone retailers such as Carphone Warehouse over an agreement to sell iPhones in their stores after the period of exclusivity with O2 has expired. According to the report, despite being the forerunner in the iPhone negotiations for so long, Arun Sarin, Vodafone's chief executive decided that the terms of the deal were simply not good enough.
Much like with AT&T, Apple's deal with O2 is expected to bring the company continuing share of the revenues generated by each iPhone customer and the device is expected to persuade a significant number of current mobile phone users to abandon their current carrier in favor of the iPhone one. While O2 is said to have won the deal for the UK, T-Mobile is mentioned as the partner for Germany while Orange is seen as the most likely for France. Apple will be partnering with different carrier in each country, ensuring that they get the best deals and service everywhere.
Exactly what is happening with the iPhone in Europe remains known only to Apple and the carrier they are in negotiations with. There have been no official statements and many of the reports out there simply contradict each other, but Apple will have to start announcing the deals they have struck sooner or later.