Orange is to start selling iPhones in the UK “later this year”, ending O2’s exclusive reseller deal with Apple.
Orange already sells iPhones in several other countries.
Conor Maples broke the news to Twitter users first thing this morning. Mobile Entertainment predicted that the exclusive deal would end about about this time back in August.
Orange is saying nothing yet about prices and contract tariffs, nor has the company pinpointed a launch date. It has put up a web page where people can register their interest.
O2 has had the exclusive deal since 2007 and generally done a decent job of it, although it has been criticized for poor data network reliability and high prices for tethering and roaming. A little bit of competition is probably going to be a good thing.
Giles Turnbull is a freelance writer in England. He also writes for the Press Association and The Morning News. You can find out more at his website, and follow him on Twitter @gilest.
