Apple Inc. will announce signed deals with three carriers to bring the iPhone to Europe, according to the Financial Times.

    Germany's T-Mobile, Britain'sO2 and France's Orange SA have signed exclusive deals with Apple, but the official announcement will come next week.

    The moveis considered critical to reaching Apple’s stated goal of selling 10 million units by the end of 2008. According to David Chamberlain, principal analyst at In-Stat, the U.S. market doesn’t have sufficient demand to reach that goal, given the high price tag. “It’s not a mass-market product,” he said. Going global also vastly improves Apple’s chances of success with the device, as higher volumes may in turn bring lower prices.

    The reportal so pushed Apple’s stock up $3.65 Wednesday to $131.20, up 2.85 percent, in early afternoon trading.