Vodafone and O2 to Break T-Mobile's iPhone Exclusivity in Germany

Apple's list of major markets with carrier exclusivity for the iPhone continues to dwindle with today's announcements by Vodafone and O2 that they will soon begin offering the iPhone 4 in Germany, breaking T-Mobile's longstanding exclusivity for Apple's handsets in that country. For the time being, the two new carriers are only offering information pages to allow users to register their interest in the device, with phone and service plan pricing and launch dates to be announced later.

Apple noted in its April earnings conference call that the U.S., Germany, and Spain were the three remaining "major" markets where single carriers held the rights for the iPhone. Since that time, Spain and now Germany have gone non-exclusive, leaving AT&T in the United States as the primary exclusive relationship for Apple and the iPhone. Several other large markets, including Japan and China, also have exclusive-carrier status for the moment, but Apple has not chosen to include them in its citations of its most significant markets.

AT&T's exclusivity may not last much longer, however, as increasing numbers of reports are pointing the launch of a CDMA-based iPhone on Verizon early next year.