Vodafone favoured for European iPhone contract

As reported over at iPhonic, Apple may well be looking for a single mobile operator to launch the iPhone Europe-wide towards the end of 2007.

We’ve been wondering which UK network would get the iPhone, and whilst we’ve favoured T-Mobile in the past, some experts think that Vodafone is currently in the lead.

This isn’t confirmed, and there’s a long way to go before we reach a European launch of the iPhone. It would appear to rule out an unlocked iPhone, though. Apple will no doubt be keen to get as much of its own way as possible.

If Apple don’t release a iPhone 3G in time for the launch, I wonder if the networks will be fighting over a contract deal.