According to claims, Orange UK sold in excess of 30,000 iPhone handsets within hours of offering the iconic handset and become the first UK network to smash O2’s exclusive deal with the UK iPhone reports an article on The Guardian.

According to Orange, the level of iPhone sales they hit by 4pm is a new first day record for a British mobile phone launch. Orange sells the iPhone via their own stores and independent retailers Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse.

Word has it Orange UK is backing the iPhone launch by a multimillion pound advertising campaign, and rather than focusing on the price of the iPhone they are basing their campaign on luring customers with a promise that Orange has better coverage than its rivals.

As for the iPhone price, there is very little difference between the iPhone on Orange and the iPhone on O2. Furthermore, Vodafone should be the next to offer the iPhone in the UK but that will not take place until the beginning of 2010.