O2 clinch Palm Pre in UK claims Guardian

We're due to sit down with Palm UK next week and – hopefully – find out all the details about the GSM Pre's launch, but according to The Guardian news of the smartphone's official UK carrier is already ready for prime-time.  The paper has reported that carrier O2 have clinched Pre exclusivity, adding the new smartphone to a line-up that already includes the Apple iPhone 3GS.

O2 has been tipped as the Pre's exclusive carrier since May, supposedly beating off strong competition from arch-rival Vodafone.  Palm themselves have remained quiet on the subject, however, though earlier this week they confirmed that they would be announcing the details on July 7th.

If true, the news would mean that possibly the two most appealing devices on the market would be under the auspices of the same carrier.  Whether users choose to go with Palm or with Apple, O2 is the real winner.

[via MyPre]