London.– The iPhone 3G has already launched in the UK, simultaneously with dozens of other countries around the world, but that doesn't mean the iPhone 3G rumors are going to stop anytime soon.

The latest bit of hearsay to come out of the United Kingdom hints at O2's iPhone exclusivity period being almost expired. That means the UK is ripe for a second iPhone 3G carrier to come in and offer O2 some competition for iPhone customers.

Word on the street is that the exclusivity agreement between O2 and Apple is set to come to an end by Christmas.  Further, they claim that Orange will be allowed to offer their UK customers iPhones from October onwards –citing Apple's possible discontent with O2's iPhone launch debacle.

Orange already offers the iPhone in France, Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Africa. So, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine Apple giving Orange the go-ahead to offer more iPhone options to Brits wary of locking themselves in to an O2 contract.