iPhone Launching In Britain With 02

The first European launch of the iPhone is underway. As had been rumored, O2 will be the carrier, with an expected launch date of November 9th.

Apple chief Steve Jobs told a London press conference that O2, owned by Spain’s Telefonica, has won an exclusive contract to distribute the iPhone in Britain.

He said the iPhone would retail in Britain at 269 pounds (387 euros, 536 US dollars).

“We talked with the main operators here but we think we have chosen the best and the most popular one,” Jobs told reporters, in reference to O2.

Apple has successfully built up lots of anticipation, and will continue to do so with their staged rollout. Yesterday Google announced a 3G iPhone for early next year, so it will be interesting to see if 3G will be available in Europe.