Orange ‘to sell iPhone in Britain’

Orange, the British mobile phone division of France Telecom, announced on Monday that it would begin selling iPhones later this year, ending rival operator O2′s exclusive deal with Apple.

O2, which is owned by Telefonica of Spain, had won a two-year exclusivity period to sell the Apple iPhone back in 2007.

“Orange UK and Apple have reached an agreement to bring iPhone 3G and 3GS to Orange UK customers later this year,” Orange said in a statement, adding that it currently sells iPhones in 27 countries and territories.

Orange gave no further details of release dates, handset costs or tariffs planned for Britain.

An O2 spokesman meanwhile said that his company would continue to sell iPhones in Britain.

“We’re proud that we’ve been able to offer an exclusive iPhone deal to our 20 million customers for the last two years,” he said in a statement.

“We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success.

“We have over one million iPhone customers and they remain very important to us,” the spokesman added.

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