Since it launched in the US last month to rave reviews, the Palm Pre is being touted as the first genuine iPhone contender. Some have even gone as far as to say that Palm’s latest offering features a better touchscreen than the current cream of the crop, the iPhone 3GS. So, with the phone expected to launch here in the UK, which network will be carrying the Pre? O2 of course. The same O2 that has the exclusive rights to sell the iPhone 3GS here in the UK. We wonder how that news went down in Cupertino. Yes it has been announced that when the GSM variant of the Palm Pre launches here in the UK, it will be exclusively available on O2

This will also come as disappointing news to O2’s competitors, particularly Orange who are without any major network exclusives and were rumoured to be in the running for the Palm Pre. If we cast our minds back we’ll also remember that Orange were rumoured to be getting in on the iPhone as it was speculated that O2’s exclusivity had expired. That turned out to be nothing more than a rumour and now, with this most recent failure to nab an exclusive, Orange could have missed out on something big, The coup for O2 could certainly prove to be fruitful if the Pre has as successful launch as it received in the US. Expected to arrive on these shores in September, click here to register your interest.

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Palm Pre snapped up by O2!