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Spanish-owned mobile operator O2 has won an exclusive contract to distribute Apple's iPhone in the UK.

In a statement today Apple confirmed that O2 – part of the Madrid-based Telefonica group – would be the exclusive carrier for the long-awaited product when it goes on sale in the UK on November 9th.

The iPhone, a mobile phone which doubles up as an iPod music player and portable internet device, will debut at the price of £269.

It will be available to UK consumers through Apple's retail and online stores, as well as through 02 and the Carphone Warehouse – Europe's largest handset retailer.

Confirmation that 02 will distribute the iPhone comes after months of speculation that the mobile operator had secured the contract to bring the much-hyped device to the UK.

The iPhone is currently only available in the US, where it went on sale on June 29th. Apple says that it has now sold its one millionth iPhone in its home market, with the benchmark target passed just 74 days after the high-tech gadget was launched there.

It is not known what terms O2 agreed to in order to secure the iPhone contract.

Commenting on the deal Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said: "We're thrilled to be partnering with O2 to offer our revolutionary iPhone to UK customers.

"US iPhone customer satisfaction is off the charts, and we can't wait to let UK customers get their hands on it and learn what they think of it," he added.

O2 UK chief executive Matthew Key added: "Our strategy at O2 is to bring our customers the best products and experiences.

"The iPhone is a breakthrough that is changing the way people use their mobiles forever, and we're thrilled to have it exclusively for O2 customers in the UK."