3 won't currently stock the iPhone

If your head is spinning over the clash of tenses that is involved in that headline, you're not the only one, and don't blame me.

Here's what we know for sure: O2 has stocked the iPhone for two years; Orange will start stocking it later this year and Vodafone will join the party early next year. T-Mobile has no iPhone-related plans.

The only operator left is 3, so we asked them if they were going to carry Apple's handset. Here's the response:

We look to offer customers great value for money with fantastic handsets and very competitive tariffs. We will not currently be ranging the Apple iPhone. We've got several strong handsets coming soon that we know our customers will love, which offer an excellent mobile internet experience at affordable prices.

Unless 3 is deliberately engaging in linguistic yoga, I think we can take that to mean they're staying away from the party.