Tesco supermarket to offer Apple iPhone in the UK

The handset has boosted sales for O2

Supermarket giant Tesco has joined a growing number of UK firms offering Apple's popular iPhone.

A spokesperson for the firm said that it hoped to offer the phone "in time for Christmas".

Although Tesco has not revealed tariffs, the spokesperson said that its prices were "competitive".

In September, it was revealed that O2 had lost its exclusive deal to sell the phone, which had been in place since its launch in 2007.

Both Vodafone and Orange have signed deals to sell the phone.

Orange has already begun selling the touchscreen whilst Vodafone will offer it from early 2010. Orange said it had sold more than 30,000 handsets on its first day.

Tesco Mobile is a joint venture with O2. It offers phones on both contract and pay as you go tariffs from its stores and website.

The firm already has 2m mobile phone customers.

O2 has offered the iPhone in the UK for more than two years. Its popularity allowed the firm to win subscribers from other networks, according to analysts.

Earlier this year, O2 said it had sold more than 1m of the phones.

All of the firms will offer the iPhone 3G and the newer iPhone 3GS.