Apple has chosen not one, but three operators so far to carry the iPhone in Europe, going with O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany and Orange in France, according to the Financial Times.
Apple had previously said that the iPhone would be available in Europe before the end of this year, however the carriers for the iPhone across the rest of Europe are as yet unannounced.
The official declaration of these deals is said to be taking place at the end of the month at the consumer electronics IFA trade show in Berlin.
The structure of these deals is said to give Apple 10pc of all revenue made from calls and data exchange over the operators network but it is not yet known how long the contract will be for.
This deal marks the first time that a handset manufacturer like Apple will be able to profit directly from data transactions, like calls or texts, carried out by customers over their mobile phone network.
AT&T, the company which carried the iPhone in the US, has signed a two-year contract with Apple which allows the handset to be sold in both AT&T and Apple stores, however AT&T is said to pay up to US$200 for every iPhone sold from an Apple outlet.
As of yet there has been no official word from O2 Ireland about the iPhone deal, or when the iPhone may be available for purchase in Ireland.
By Marie Boran
