Carphone sees 10,000 iPhones being sold on 1st day

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) Europe's biggest independent mobile phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse, could sell up to 10,000 Apple iPhones when it goes on sale next week, a Carphone executive said on Thursday.

The touch-screen mobile phone, which combines Apple's popular iPod music player, a camera and Web browser, will be sold through Spanish-owned operator O2 UK, Carphone Warehouse and Apple retail and online stores from Nov. 9.

Apple has not given any forecasts for sales since announcing the launch in Britain but Darren Gardner, head of wireless UK at Carphone Warehouse, said with around 800 stores across the country, Carphone could hope to sell up to 10,000 in the first day.

The phone will go on sale at 6 p.m. local time next Friday and the Carphone stores are set to stay open for four hours to meet consumer demand.

''We will hope to represent a big share of what is sold,'' he told reporters on Thursday.

Reuters RJ GC2345