Mobile company 3 has said it would like to work with Apple on creating X-Series style services for any future 3G iteration of the iPhone. The comments were made by consumer PR manager Sarah Pope in an interview with Tech.co.uk.
"If [Apple] does bring a 3G product to the market it would be a natural step for us to have a look at what they're doing and see if there are ways that we can work together. But that's very much an 'if and when' and depending on the market at the time," Pope said.
"If it comes on 3G then [we'd like to work with Apple in the future] but that's something Apple would have to decide it wants to do. When you look at the way 3 is moving in terms of the handset manufacturers that we are working with and the new phones that we're bringing out especially towards the end of this year, there's already some really exciting products out there."
Pope also said that the Apple iPhone is getting too much industry attention. There are some really good 3G handsets coming out from the likes of LG and Sony Ericsson, she explained.
Will the next iPhone be 3G?
"The new LG U990 with its touchscreen and all it's capable of, the 5-megapixel camera and all the bits and pieces that go with that, it's really exciting times for the other handset manufacturers, not just Apple.
"Apple ultimately is a cool brand and people will want to buy the phone just because they want to buy the phone - they just want it because it's from Apple and they've done a fantastic job with their branding.
"But I wouldn't take anything away from the likes of LG and Sony Ericsson as I think you'll be really surprised at how popular their new batch of handsets are going to be."
Pope said that 3 believes leaving 3G out of the European iPhone is a big mistake as it leaves the door open for other handsets to surpass it in terms of its connectivity.
"Is 3G a really good reason to not get an iPhone? Absolutely, the [LG] U990 runs full X-Series so you've got things like Slingbox, with which you can watch your TV on your phone. You've got Orb so you can get all your files from your PC at home. You've got Windows Live Messenger and Skype and all those kind of add-on features which the Apple iPhone doesn't have.
"The iPhone has been good for us because it's given us the opportunity to talk about all the things that you can do with 3G which the iPhone won't be able to. We've been saying 3G is the way forward for a long time, and the iPhone is not there yet."
