Telecoms giant Vodafone has secured the right to sell the iPhone in the UK, less than 24 hours after Orange announced a similar deal.
The move is likely to lead to a price war between the two companies, with O2, who has had a two-year exclusive grip on the device, also continuing to sell it in the UK.
However, Vodafone customers wanting to upgrade will have to wait until the new year to get their hands on the smartphone.
The company has also opened up an online pre-registration process which customers can sign up to in advance of the iPhone becoming available.
Vodafone, which will now be selling the handset in 13 different countries, was originally interested in getting the exclusive rights but was put off by Apple’s demands, which stated that it would have to pass on some product sales revenues.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs recently confirmed that over two billion applications had been sold through the iPhone’s App Store and this is set to grow as more people get their hands on the device.