Right now, AT&T has a good position with Apple as an exclusive iPhone dealer. However, Apple has their sites set on many countries for the iPhone, meaning eventually they'll have to find other companies to partner with as well. This comes just days after Apple revealed they have penned their first deals with European providers.
In Europe, France Telecom has confirmed that they are currently in discussion with Apple over the iPhone. While specific details aren't mentioned, there have been similar discussions with other European companies looking to distribute the iPhone as well:
Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that Deutsche Telekom's mobile-phone unit, T-Mobile, had agreed to a deal in which, in order to sell the iPhone, it would share with Apple 10 percent of the revenue it makes from calls and data transfers by customers over iPhones.
Will the iPhone be able to hold up worldwide versus the myriad of other choices? The iPhone's lack of newer technology, such as 3G, might play against it in worldwide markets, which makes rumors of a 3G iPhone all the more interesting, though I wouldn't expect it anytime soon.