UK carriers cagey on an iPhone deal

O2 says all big UK carriers are in talks to launch iPhone

Apple will launch its much-hyped iPhone next week on 29 June in the US but UK mobile operators are still being very cagey about their chances of nabbing a
potentially lucrative carrier relationship.

The frenzied build-up to availability of the iPhone went up a notch again this week when Apple said battery life would last up to eight hours and that the
smartphone would use a scratch-resistant glass screen.

However, UK users will have to wait until late this year for iPhone availability. Also, while Apple will use AT&T exclusively for the US service, UK operators are not showing their hands yet.

When IT Week conducted a straw poll of major mobile operators this week -- asking them whether they are in talks with Apple over the iPhone -- Orange, Vodafone
and T-Mobile all declined to comment. O2, on the other hand, said it was in discussions with Apple but suggested that all other major carriers are in the
same position.

Unless the iPhone turns out to be a flop, UK demand for the device is likely to be high.

Research firm M:Metrics this week suggested that about seven million British phone users would be interested in buying an iPhone.