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Tesco beats Vodafone in race to stock Apple iPhone

With Vodafone still preparing to enter the iPhone market in 2010, retail giant Tesco has unveiled plans to stock the Apple smartphone – possibly in time for Christmas.

The tariffs to be offered at the store have yet to be revealed, though representatives for the chain have promised they will be "competitive".

Tesco Mobile, which is 50 per cent owned by O2, will sell the iPhone 3G and 3GS models – on contract or pay as you go deals – in its UK-wide stores and via its website.

“We would love to get it in our stores before Christmas and would love to bring a bit of Tesco value to the iPhone and offer something very different to what is out there," a Tesco Mobile spokeswoman told the Times.

Earlier this month, O2's exclusive two-year hold on the iPhone ended as rival network Orange began selling the coveted 3G and 3GS smartphones.


Consumers hoping to see a price war kick off were left diasappointed, however, as the operator announced tariffs similar to those alredy available through O2.

Tesco Mobile has now not only beaten Vodafone in the race to stock the Apple handset, but also T-Mobile and 3.