Sales of Apple’s iPhone have outpaced its rivals in its first full month on the market in the US.

In a study by market research group iSuppli, sales of the smartphone in July beat those of the BlackBerry and other smartphone rivals. The phone accounted for 1.8 per cent of US handset sales in July.

The much-anticipated mobile phone handset is expected to generate significant sales in the UK after its pre-Christmas launch with its as yet unconfirmed distribution partner.

Apple is expected to confirm its key European distribution partners well ahead of the festive period. Speculation is rife, following newspaper reports that the American company will announce deals with Germany’s T-Mobile, France’s Orange and Britain’s O2.

iSuppli said that the iPhone’s success in its first month could be due to pent-up demand after “months of hype”.

Details remain unclear about the launch of the iPhone in Europe, including a UK launch date.

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