Vodafone: Will "absolutely" get chance to sell iPhone

Within the next 6 to 12 months...

21 September 2007 8:09 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Arun Sarin, Vodafone's chief executive officer has been making some rather cryptic comments to press in Mumbai.

After revealing earlier in the week that the iPhone only affected Verizon's customer levels temporarily after its launch in the States, Sarin has apparently been looking to the future for Apple's device.

The operator-partners have now been revealed for the UK, Germany and France, none of which are Vodafone, but Sarin told reporters in Mumbai that Vodafone will "absolutely" get another chance to sell the iPhone in the next 6 to 12 months.

Without no further explanation forthcoming from the CEO, we can only speculate as to his meaning. The 02/Apple exclusive deal is believed to be for 2 years.

So, with the Apple deal sown up with O2 in the UK and Sarin's comment coming whilst in Mumbai you could surmise that perhaps he was referring to other other, further afield, territories.

Or, you could speculate that he may be referring to the 3G version of the device (that Sarin's previously expressed an interest in) confirmed to be coming in 2008, but not, as far as we've been led to believe, within the 6 to 12 month timescale he discussed.