T-Mobile to be exclusive iPhone European partner?

Link: News: T-Mobile looks set to win Euro distribution rights for the iPhone – MarketingWeek

Gosh, the rumour mill is in full spin this week. According to Marketing Week, T-Mobile have emerged as the frontrunner in the race to secure the European distribution rights for the long-awaited Apple iPhone.

Europe’s biggest mobile phone networks, including Vodafone, Orange and O2 owner Telefonica, have been competing for the right to sell the combined music player, mobile phone, e-mail and internet device when it is launched in Europe this autumn. Apple has already signed an exclusive deal with AT&T to distribute the iPhone in the US.

It is thought that the company has narrowed the European shortlist to Vodafone and T-Mobile but sources say the Deutsche Telekom-owned brand is the favourite to land the deal.

Interesting. But hang on a minute.. T-Mobile isn’t quite pan-European – they’re not really big in the Italian, Spanish or French markets – so what’s Apple got planned for there? Gartner research director Martin Gutberlet is quoted as saying he reckons they’ll sign an exclusive deal with the likes of T-Mobile initially, but market pressures will later demand they work with other distributors across Europe.

The article also says that Carphone Warehouse pulled out of the running due to the iPhone’s lack of 3G compatibility, which is apparently also the reason Three didn’t get a look-in – which is a shame.