Rumors: Apple and Cingular in a deal over Apple iPhone

As per the media magazine AppleInsider, Apple has signed on an agreement with the mobile service provider Cingular.

This agreement would make Cingular the exclusive carrier of Apple’s forthcoming phone supposed to be called Apple iPhone.

The magazine also claims that the iPod maker is on track for a launch sometime next year. The deal between Apple and Cingular is expected to be for around a period of six months after which the phone could be made available on other competing networks.

Cingular incidentally also had an exclusive deal on the Moto Rokr mobile phone from Motorola, which was developed in collaboration with Apple Computer.

AppleInsider believes that the Apple iPhone will feature a candy-bar design with a 2.2-inch display and 3-megapixel camera. It would of course have the iTunes and iSync features to complement the iPod range of digital music players.