LONDON (AFP) - Vodafone on Tuesday became the latest mobile phone operator to announce it will begin selling iPhones in Britain following the expiry of O2's exclusive deal with Apple.
"Vodafone and Apple today confirmed that they have reached agreement to bring iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to the UK and Ireland in early 2010," said a brief statement.
Orange, the British mobile phone division of France Telecom, said Monday that it would begin selling iPhones in Britain later this year.O2, which is owned by Telefonica of Spain, had won a two-year exclusivity period to sell the Apple iPhone back in 2007.
Neither Orange nor Vodafone have given precise details of release dates, handset costs or tariffs planned for Britain.This week's iPhone news could spark a major high-street price war in the run-up to Christmas, according to Matthew Wheeler, managing director of mobile phone comparison website Omio.com.
"With the three major networks now selling the iPhone it finally makes it a true mass market device. The must-have mobile now becomes accessible to everyone."He added: "Expect prices to fall in time for the Christmas when it is likely to become one of the top selling devices this year."
