Sources claim T-Mobile could be Apple iPhone carrier in Europe

Marketing Week has claimed in a news item that T-Mobile is now emerging as the front runner to offer the upcoming Apple iPhone in the European market.

The deal is expected to be exclusive in the initial years as Apple has a similar deal in place with AT&T in the USA.

Till now Vodafone was considered to be the company Apple would choose to launch their iPhone in the European market.

Orange and O2 owner Telefonica are the two other major players in the region who are trying to get the exclusive rights to offer iPhone in Europe.

Gartner research director Martin Gutberlet has stated in a report that Apple might avoid Vodafone due to their Live! Portal service which could compete directly with their ITunes for iPhone.

He added: “It would be in Apple’s best interests to get more than one operator to distribute the phone because the European market is more fragmented than the US.”

He further speculates that the iPod maker would sign an exclusive deal with one company but would realize their mistake at a later stage.

T-Mobile interestingly has little or no presence in several European markets like Italy, Spain or France.

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