CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. technology giant Apple may branch away from its exclusive iPhone arrangement with AT&T in 2010, a senior industry analyst said.

Gene Munster at Piper Jaffrey forecast an expanded availability for the iPhone in the United States next year based on a comparison with France, where the iPhone enjoys a 40 percent market share and is offered through various carriers, Macworld reported Monday.

Allowing Verizon a shot at the iPhone, would require Apple to make a choice of building a phone compatible with Verizon's old network or one compatible with the faster LTE system Verizon is aiming to launch in 2010.

Verizon is expected to put its new system on line in stages, limiting its availability until the turnover is complete, Macworld reported.