French cellular operator Orange has signed a deal with Apple to sell its iPhone in the Middle East, Africa and several European countries. France Telecom’s Orange said in a one-sentence statement that it will sell the iPhone in Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and African markets later this more »

Back at Macworld ’07 iPod marketing director Greg Jozwiak was asked why Apple had given exclusive carrier rights to AT&T. He explained that Apple couldn’t have been able to provide crucial features without an exclusive partner like AT&T. There is no doubt that’s true while the iPhone was under development, but now that the majority of the bugs have been worked out, but with iPhone stretching to a worldwide audience can Apple continue this tactic?

It made sense that the iPhone would end up with AT&T as they are the current top dog in the US cell industry. There is only one other carrier (Verizon) who could give them the infrastructure and deep pockets that Apple would need to create a nationwide phenomenon. As the iPhone went international, Apple Kept the trend alive by siding with the largest and most entrenched carriers in each country the struck deals in. The European cell market is far more competitive than the US market and it seems like this tactic may have contributed the slow pace of sales in Europe as well as the seemingly huge demand for unlocked iPhones. Even some Macheads in the US may not be willing to jump T-mobile or Verizon even for the iPhone’s siren-like call.

According to the Times Online, O2 has won the exclusive carrier contract to bring Apple’s iPhone to the UK this Christmas. It just goes to show, that rumors, no matter how strong, don’t always come true. Apple has apparently decided to pursue the European market country-by-country, rather than providing the phone via one carrier (see: more »