O2 wins Apple iPhone deal - at a hefty price
O2 has finally be confirmed as the U.K. carrier for Apple's iPhone, but they paid dearly for the privilege.
The UK's largest mobile operator came from behind at the last minute to seal an agreement with Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, to market the iPhone in the UK, but one other operator described the deal as "madly money-losing".
O2 is understood to have agreed a margin on the retail price - to be confirmed tomorrow - but will return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device.
Unlike other phones, the carriers are actually being raked over the coals in their rush to grab the rights to this device, whether its AT&T in the U.S. or O2 in the U.K. Carriers are falling all over themselves to get the rights, and giving up things they would consider unimaginable for other devices.
