They may be right too. We all know Apple (Steve) likes to control every aspect and the iPhone is no exception. It seems EU carriers in negotiation with Apple to carry the iPhone are frustrated. Many are bemoaning how Apple is incredibly arrogant with their list of unreasonable demands.

“Operators consistently told us, not for attribution, of course, that they had spoken to Apple and found the company ‘unbelievably arrogant’, making demands that ’simply cannot be justified no matter how hot the product is’,” Avi Greengart, a principal analyst at Current Analysis, wrote in an advisory last Monday.

This comes as no shock since Europe’s mobile landscape is far more developed than the U.S. Their infrastructure is already highly developed. Adjusting it just to sell the Jesus phone is more than they’re willing to do. They already have a problem with iTunes being a closed DRM’d system and it also competes with their own mobile music downloads services.

Analysts monitoring the situation say Apple may be forced to sell the iPhone thru their retail stores only unlocked.

[Via VNU]