Vodafone has challenged German operator T-Mobile’s exclusive deal to sell Apple’s iPhone in Germany under local competition laws.

The mobile phone giant secured a temporary injunction yesterday against T-Mobile Deutschland’s deal with Apple, which ties iPhone buyers to the German company’s network for two years.

A court hearing is due to take place in Hamburg in two weeks.

Vodafone said it does not want to stop the network from selling the phone, which went on sale this month, but wants customers to be allowed to choose their own network.

Vodafone lost its battle for the rights to sell the iPhone to O2 in the UK and to Orange in France. However, in France local laws have forced Orange to open up the phone to other networks.