O2 launches £10,000 iPhone app contest

App Showdown entries will be judged by O2's iPhone customers

O2 has launched a developer contest for iPhone applications. The App Showdown will pay out a £10,000 prize for the best piece of software for the Apple smartphone.

The mobile operator said that the contest will run throughout August, and the entries will be judged by O2's iPhone customers. The public response to the entries will drive the entire contest, the firm said.

Some of the suggested ideas include broadband status monitors, network coverage maps and utilities to collect and organise information at traffic accidents.

O2 said that there will be no restrictions on the types of software that can be submitted, but added that the "key criterion for the winner will be an app that can help build a lasting relationship between O2 and its iPhone customers" .

While O2 is seeking to spur new software development, Apple has claimed that there is no shortage of interest in either the development or purchase of iPhone apps. The iPhone App Store recently surpassed 1.5 billion downloads, and Apple estimates its total number of developers at more than 30,000.

O2 is currently the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the UK. Recent reports, however, have suggested that the company's contract with Apple will end soon and that multiple carriers could sign on to support the device.