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eBay signs mobile phone app deal with Telefonica

Owners of auction site eBay have signed a deal with Telefonica which will see an eBay app being pre-loaded onto most new 02 smartphones.

It is eBay’s first pre-loaded app deal and will initially be limited to UK 02 customers but is expected to be rolled out to Telefonica’s other markets eventually. The eBay mobile app will be available on most 02 smartphone devices by the end of the year, such as Android, Windows Phone 7, Symbian, RIM and bada phones.

According to eBay, 02 customers already make up a significant proportion of the site’s mobile traffic and it is one of the most popular destinations for 02 customers. In 2010, eBay generated $2 billion in mobile sales and this figure is predicted to double in 2011.

Steve Yankovich, Vice President of Mobile at eBay, said, “With smartphones now outselling PCs, the future of shopping for our customers is mobile. Today’s deal means that O2’s 22 million customers will find it even easier to access the world’s largest marketplace wherever they are. We will continue to invest in mobile technology and work with partners to extend our market-leading position in m-commerce, and to give customers the shopping experience they demand.”