Yesterday, Apple announced that France will receive the iPhone on November 29, with mobile operator Orange as its exclusive provider. What Apple didn't mention is that Orange will also sell an unlocked iPhone in France next month - the news was confirmed by an Orange spokeswoman since. This is due to a French law that prohibits exclusively bundling a handset with a wireless carrier.

The deal with Orange gives Apple an exclusive sales agent for its iPhone in Europe's three largest markets. The company did not specify how much the unlocked iPhone will cost, but it said it will be more expensive than the locked 8GB version, which will sell for €399 starting November. It remains unknown whether the phone will be locked to French networks only.