European Union antitrust regulators are collecting information to determine whether Apple's iPhone contract deals with various telecoms operators have been designed to shut out rival smartphone makers, such as Samsung, HTC and Nokia.
Following informal complaints made against Apple in late 2012, mobile phone operators were asked to respond to a related nine-page questionnaire late last week.
"The [European] Commission has information indicating that Apple and mobile network operators have concluded distribution agreements which may potentially lead to the foreclosure of other smartphone manufacturers from the market," read part of the questionnaire.
One section of the questionnaire asked operators whether Apple had insisted that they buy minimum numbers of handsets in order to secure distribution deals, provide preferential marketing facility for them, agree set levels of subsidies or give Apple better terms on sales than rival smartphone makers.
The questionnaire also asks whether Apple has restricted network operators from using the iPhone 5 in their 4G network deals.
This new inquiry comes at the same time as Apple continues to fight off accusations of "aggressive" tax avoidance, as a US Senate subcommittee has accused the company of using "technicalities" in Irish and US tax law to effectively make itself tax resident within no defined jurisdiction.
