Edible Apple

In most countries where the iPhone has proven extremely popular, Apple’s revolutionary device is available from a number of cell carriers. The glaring exception to this rule, of course, is here in the United States where the iPhone remains, much to the frustration of many, an AT&T exclusive.

One European country where the iPhone is also currently tied to a single carrier is Germany, but that’s all set to change in the next couple of weeks according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.

One [source] said that deals haven’t been finalized, but added that negotiations are in an advanced stage. Deutsche Telekom’s exclusive rights to sell the device haven’t been extended and could end as early as October, posing a threat to growth in the company’s home market.

Deutsche Telekom’s mobile-service revenue has outperformed that of its rivals in recent quarters, partly because Deutsche Telekom has held exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in Germany since November 2007. The country is the last major European market in which one provider has exclusive rights to sell the iPhone.

The report also notes that Deutsche Telekom has been particularly frustrated with long delays in iPhone 4 shipments. The carrier reportedly has told customers interested in ordering the iPhone 4 that they’ll probably have to wait up to 9 weeks before they can get their hands on Apple’s latest product.

As for iPhone exclusivity here in the US, reports are increasingly hinting at an Verizon capable iPhone hitting the streets sometime in early 2011. Back in early August, John Gruber noted that a CDMA equipped iPhone is already at EVT status (engineering verification test), which is one step below DVT status (device verification test). Now if that all sounds familiar, you might remember that the lost iPhone 4 prototype eventually paraded around by Gizmodo was at DVT status when found in a bar that fateful night.