Vodafone has revealed it will start selling the Apple iPhone from 14 January, missing out the Christmas season.
However, the operator will be giving free calls to customers who have registered interest in the phone and pre-order it, letting them call other Vodafone handsets for free for the length of their contract.
It will also be available on business contracts from the launch date, Vodafone said.
"We're especially pleased to offer iPhone to business customers from launch, both directly and through a network of 20 dealers across the country clearly demonstrating that Vodafone is the natural home for small business," Vodafone chief executive Guy Laurence said in a statement.
The Vodafone contracts won't likely be sparking the price war many have long hoped to see on the pricey handset.
The cheapest consumer package available is 30 a month on a two year contract, but you'll still have to pay out for even the lowest-end version of the phone.
However, on a business contract you are able to get the iPhone 3G 8GB for free on the lowest tariff of 30 a month.
There are also 18-month contracts starting from 40 a month, which offers the iPhone 3G 8GB handset for free, but charges an 89 upgrade for the iPhone 3GS 16GB and 179 for the 3GS 32GB. All of the plans come with 1GB of free mobile data and free Wi-Fi access.
Tesco, meanwhile, is offering a 20, 12-month contract, although even the lowest end model will cost 222.
