Earlier we reported the rumor that O2 beat out Vodafone for the right to distribute the iPhone in the UK, now other publications are carrying the story.
The Financial Times also indicates that O2 has prevailed over Vodafone and suggests that the UK iPhone will also be a 2.5G phone like the US model. Ireland’s Silicon Republic suggest that the European iPhone will indeed be a 3G device. Vodafone has an extensive 3G network, but it may be that Apple is using the same strategy in Europe as they did in the US, when they partnered with also-ran AT&T/Cingular. Partnering with a 2nd or 3rd place carrier gives Apple more leverage, and, if the partnership is successful, puts them in a very strong position for dealing with other carriers.
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