O2 UK the sole distributor of iPhone 3G in the UK this morning started taking orders via it’s website for pay monthly iPhone 3G’s. The demand was so huge that most people were struggling to even access the site and within a few hours the 16GB model had been taken off and a short while ago O2 put a message on it’s site stating:

“Due to huge demand for the iPhone 3G, we’re currently out of stock online. Come back on 10th July for more information.”

This is bad news for customers who wanted to upgrade as online is the only way O2 was allowing customers to do this. O2 also further annoyed it’s potential customers today by telling people that iPhone 3G would now not be released until around Christmas time.

If your looking for an iPhone 3G then going in-store on the 11th July may now be your only option and looking at the demand it looks like there are going to be many dissapointed people.

SOURCE: mobiles4u.net

The delay for iPhone 3G Pay As You Go has now been confirmed by a member of O2’s staff on the company’s forums after a barrage of questions from frustrated customers. According to the member of staff posting the information, the phone will now be launched closer to Christmas due to the greater than expected demand for the iPhone 3G.

Basically O2 want as many people as they can on an 18 month contract and those who don’t bite the bait or fail credit checks will have to wait.

Please see the link below to O2’s forums:

http://customerforum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2555

O2 UK have yet again managed to annoy the crowds of iPhone fans loitering around city centres for a mere scrap of information by pulling the plug on pre-credit checks which were due to take place from today the 4th July.

In an email to all O2 stores they have made clear there will be no pre-credit checks and that customers must simply turn-up from the 11th July in the hope that they might get one. Some members of O2 Store staff have also been quoted as saying the PAYG version of iPhone 3G will not appear in-stores on the 11th July which is a further blow to anyone who fails an actual credit check on the day as this would be the only other viable alternative of getting the handset.

It appears from reports that O2 are receiving a much lower number of iPhones that they were expecting which would explain why on O2’s website now has a message stating the following

“We are now no longer allowing customers to pre-register their interest for iPhone 3G. iPhone 3G will go on general sale on 11 July 2008 in all our stores.”

Let’s hope O2 come to their senses this coming week and garnish us with further details.

SOURCE: mobiles4u.net

UPDATE 7th July 08: As suspected O2 have now released a statement on their website which states ” iPhone 3G for Pay & Go will be available later this year.” which makes an 11th July launch very unlikely. The way O2 have dealt with the situation is appalling and I hope Apple are watching this for when it comes time to renew O2’s exclusive deal.