Vodafone is the prime candidate to carry the iPhone when it reaches Europe, according to The Guardian's Richard Wray. The editor points to anonymous industry experts who suggest that the provider is currently the leader in a bid for an exclusive deal with Apple. The California-based firm's main goal is universal distribution, the report notes. As one of the few cellular services to address most of Europe, Vodafone would give Apple a single company with which to negotiate its terms.

Although unconfirmed, the deal would reflect past negotiations for the iPhone, which saw the device signed to an exclusive five-year term with Cingular (now AT&T) and a currently unspecified Canadian contract with Rogers Wireless. A European release of the iPhone is slated for late 2007.