Palm Pre to hit UK courtesy of O2?

 

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By Jennifer Scott

Posted on 16 Mar 2009 at 11:49

Reports claim that O2 parent Telefonica may have agreed a deal for exclusive rights on the Palm Pre.

The story initially broke in the Spanish newspaper Expansion, and claimed that the deal would grant Telefonica exclusive rights on the much anticipated handset in the UK, Spain and Latin America.

The paper also says the Pre will be announced on schedule "before summer", meaning it will be released before O2's other exclusive handset, the third generation iPhone.

The deal would leave Vodafone, which was widely understood to have the contract, empty handed, but none of the companies involved are confirming the rumours at this point.

Indeed, a spokesperson for Palm called the rumours a "misunderstanding" and denied that any date had been set for a UK launch. O2 offered similar rebuttals.

Vodafone offered a similar denial: "Vodafone are always talking to leading brands about new handsets. The Palm Pre is an interesting proposition but that is all we are willing to say at this time."

The Palm Pre will be launching in the US in the first half of 2009, exclusively on Sprint's mobile broadband network.