Vodafone-Apple, Then Faster iPhone?

Updated from 9:29 a.m. EDT

Vodafone (VOD Quote) said Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Apple (AAPL Quote) that will bring the iPhone to 10 new markets before the end of 2008, giving more credence to rumors of a newer, faster version of the iPhone.

Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network, the company said in a release.

At the same time, Telecom Italia (TI Quote) said it will also bring the iPhone to Italy on its network, marking the first time Apple will allow its all-in-one device to run on more than one carrier in the same country.

In the U.S., Apple has an exclusive deal with AT&T (T Quote), while O2 services the U.K. and Ireland. Deutsche Telekom's (DT Quote) T-Mobile wireless carrier has iPhone exclusivity in Austria and Germany. Orange, part of France Telecom (FTE Quote), carries the iPhone on its network in France.

Vodafone's announcement represents somewhat of an about-face by CEO Arun Sarin, who had criticized the iPhone in November for running on the EDGE network, which has slower transfer speeds than 3G. During a November earnings call, Sarin said the iPhone is "not a broadband phone" capable of running over Vodafone's high-speed networks.

While many in the industry originally chalked up his comments to sour grapes -- Vodafone had been passed over for exclusive contacts with Apple in the U.K. and France -- analysts believe Vodafone's pact with Apple for the iPhone is further evidence of a forthcoming 3G iPhone.

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