The march of Apple’s iPhone around the world is picking up steam. Vodafone announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple to sell the device in 10 markets.

The markets are Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, and Turkey. Customers in those countries will be able to purchase the iPhone by the end of that year.

No Mention of 3G

While there have been rumors that Apple would come out with a 3G model sometime that year, Vodafone’s announcement makes no mention of whether it will be selling the 3G version or the current model.

Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, noted that is the first deal within Vodafone and Apple, and that it “tremendously expands the worldwide distribution of the iPhone.” Up to now, that distribution has been limited to a few countries besides the U.S.

He said the

announcement was as notable for what it didn’t say as for what it did. He pointed out there was no mention of availability or pricing, in addition to no mention about whether it would be the 3G version. Greengart said his “personal speculation” is that the 3G model will be announced very soon, considering Apple wants it out in day for the holiday season.

The coming of the 3G iPhone has been the subject of various rumors and reports, such as a report in March from a Bank of America analyst that the device would be coming that month.

3G ‘Necessary’ for 10 Million

IDC analyst Chris Hazelton agreed that the 3G iPhone will probably be announced in the near future, although he said he “wouldn’t be surprised” whether it started shipping as soon as it was announced — meaning it could be made public right up to the edge of…

Orginal post by Top Tech News