iPhone 3G launching 00:01 NZ time, home delivered in the UK

Vodafone just went public with the information you already knew, New Zealand will see the world's first iPhone launch at 00:01 local time on the 11th. That's almost a full day before any New York, propaganda farmer gets his. In the UK, O2 is now taking pre-orders (one per customer) on a first come, first serve basis. Better yet, your new slab of 3G will be delivered to your home on the 11th of July by courier where you can activate it from the digital comforts of iTunes. So civilized.

Update: According to a handful of tipsters, O2 sold out of the 16GB version of the iPhone in about three hours. Here's hoping you made the cut.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read -- O2 UK
Read -- Vodafone NZ

[jon @ Jul 7th 2008 5:38AM]

The question is, do NZ users have to wait 12 hours for iTunes 7.7 to be released!

[DC @ Jul 7th 2008 5:55AM]

O2 site is down for maintenance, predictably enough. Never really worked.

[Jamie M @ Jul 7th 2008 5:38AM]

I thought it was going to have to be in-store activation this time around?

[Leoedin @ Jul 7th 2008 6:17AM]

Once you've signed your contract online, it doesn't need to be in-store, because you've already signed the contract. It may be that the phone is also already activated when you receive it, with the sim card in it.

[Twitchy @ Jul 7th 2008 5:40AM]

Prices start at $199NZD, require a 24 month contract (surprise surprise).

http://view.eid.co.nz/?ice=14TRG7RNHNS

[Twitchy @ Jul 7th 2008 5:46AM]

Forgot to add that this is equivalent to $150USD, or €96. I fear that the difference will be made up by exorbitant subscription fees - which wouldn't surprise me either considering our convoluted duopolistic market.

[holycow @ Jul 7th 2008 6:13AM]

Needless to say Canada gets raped yet again... 199 CAD + 3 year contract... le sigh Rogers!

[Rob Bourne @ Jul 7th 2008 7:37AM]

2 and 3 year contracts? Ouch, I feel for you, brothers :(

[scott @ Jul 8th 2008 3:51AM]

yes but for that yu have to pay 250NZD per month for 2 years!

[scott @ Jul 8th 2008 3:53AM]

Sorry, forgot to say for 1GB as well...

[Jamie Whitfield @ Jul 7th 2008 5:42AM]

The only problem being, as soon as O2 announced that existing customers could pre-order their website went down with what I assume is down to the influx of people like me wanting to order! I tried for an hour with no luck!

I'm currently on hold with their customer services department and I hope I can get my order in today...

[Andy Merrett @ Jul 7th 2008 6:18AM]

Don't bother trying to order over the phone, the iPhone can only be pre-ordered on the web. The auto-help line and the guy I spoke to told me.

The O2 shop has been down from about 9am until now. The Carphone Warehouse site briefly had ordering facilities, but they mucked up the 16GB and 8GB models (8GB model was placed in basket regardless)

The 16GB white model doesn't appear to be available, either because of Apple's rumoured UK sanctions, or it's just not an option.

My CW contact says interest in the iPhone 3G is 10x that of the original. CW stores open at 8.02am on Friday, if there are any iPhones left by then.

There's no problem registering online and not in store for the iPhone 3G because you get credit-checked, provide payment, set up bank direct debit, online. At least that's the theory!

[Corbo @ Jul 7th 2008 6:45AM]

It took half an hour to load the page but I managed to get mine just a little before 9 o'clock. Or, at least, I think I did. I clicked "Send" at the bottom of the form and all it did was wait five minutes and reload the form, no confirmation notice or email or anything.

Anybody else managed to get it done?

[w00t @ Jul 7th 2008 7:57AM]

Good thing I pre-ordered mine a month ago in Carphone Warehouse :)

[Matt @ Jul 7th 2008 5:44AM]

> O2 is now taking pre-orders

Yeah except that almost immediately the site became flakey and slow. It's now just displaying a holding page. Oops.

Looks like O2 invited a DDoS attack on their own servers. Pitty they didn't bother to put in enough kit to handle the demand they knew existed.

[Andy Merrett @ Jul 7th 2008 7:08AM]

If you don't get a confirmation, you haven't placed the order, according to the guy I spoke to at O2.

The 16GB iPhone 3G is already out of stock at O2, according to the site.

If you want one in the UK, go to Carphone Warehouse quickly because they've just put their page up.

[Martin Wong @ Jul 7th 2008 5:51AM]

I was lucky, I was in work from 7am and ordered more or less as soon as I saw the email!

[Devyan @ Jul 7th 2008 5:56AM]

The site has been down since 9:30am......02 is also only selling a black 8gb/16gb on thier website and no white 16GB.....any one know why 02 arent and if they plan to - when?

[thatnod @ Jul 7th 2008 12:33PM]

Actually, it went down earlier than that. I was getting the 'down for maintenance' page as early as 8:39. I'd started trying to fill out the form at 8:20 and it was slow, partially loaded and reset on me once! I completed it 3 times but it failed to submit each time, displaying lots of garbage code and symbols on the final attempt. Hope they fix it soon!

[Luke. @ Jul 7th 2008 5:58AM]

'iPhone 3G is only available in black'

Please say this is just online. If the white version isn't sold in shops on Friday, I'll be chopping off many heads.

[BigReg @ Jul 7th 2008 10:08AM]

I shiver at the thought of keeping a white phone clean! Good luck to you!

[nickels @ Jul 7th 2008 5:58AM]

really, why make it online only? why not make it by phone too
makes no sense to me

[tekdroid @ Jul 7th 2008 9:03AM]

quite likely because they don't have to pay someone to answer your call, or read you out the contract, or record your call. ie. it's cheaper.

[Ash @ Jul 7th 2008 6:00AM]

Has anyone had any luck with the O2 site since 8am??

Earlier it would let me fill in my order details then just kept saying "try again". I tried phoning but the message says its ONLY available online before 11th July.

[KiwiNick @ Jul 7th 2008 6:02AM]

Yeeep it was real nice exclusive import only $700 phone I had once....

[Tim @ Jul 7th 2008 6:04AM]

I will be updating a blog site from New Zeland http://www.fifteen.co.nz/iphone3g/ when I'm standing in line and also putting up some images as soon as I can after I have a new phone.

[Matt Lang @ Jul 7th 2008 7:40AM]

Lol..Its Tim..from ELim

Rather random seeing you on here :) Catch ya later dude

[nahman @ Jul 7th 2008 6:07AM]

So does that mean we can getaway like the 1st iphone without even signing up to the actual contract

[Andy Merrett @ Jul 7th 2008 6:18AM]

No, you can't. Have to do the credit check etc online, pay, set up bank direct debit.

Shame :)

[Richard Green @ Jul 7th 2008 6:08AM]

Hmm.I also tried to order one, but they don't deliver to any address apart from your home address - and I'm not going to take a day off work just to wait for a phone to maybe show up sometime. And yes - I had the same problem with the website that it crashed half way through the order.

I'm thinking that I may now leave it for a few weeks and pick it up from a store.... Well done o2 for the impressive customer experience...

[Unknown @ Jul 7th 2008 6:14AM]

still thinking~~~

[Shaun @ Jul 7th 2008 6:17AM]

Wow, that will be exciting!
The phone will look the same so im not sure you need to show everyone the opening of the box.
Apple pull off some crazy shite, they make there products seem like they were made by god himself and that they are rare and you must buy it on the first day.

[Tim @ Jul 7th 2008 6:26AM]

Come on man... nothing happens down on the bottom of the earth.

[Devyan @ Jul 7th 2008 6:21AM]

UPDATE - 02 website still down......they are not taking orders online but.....

carphone ware house is by phone and not online....they cant get the iphone to you on friday but can have it to you by monday or you can collect in store on sat/sun. they also are not selling white version and the guys there supposedly dont know when its will be available in the UK.

[Andy Merrett @ Jul 7th 2008 7:08AM]

Can now order online at CW, for free delivery on Friday.

[Jamie Whitfield @ Jul 7th 2008 6:22AM]

The website just doesn't work, the maintenance page has gone and now the OTT interface is just painful, I've had 7 upgrade codes now and not been able to do anything with any of them!!! ARGGHHHHH!

[Greg Marsh @ Jul 7th 2008 6:36AM]

Seems they have already sold out of the 16gb version.. Only 8gb left..
;-(

[nahman @ Jul 7th 2008 6:26AM]

O2 website is online now and taking orders again

[Adam @ Jul 7th 2008 6:44AM]

O2 sold out of 16gbs online already! Only offering 8gb as of 11:20am

[nickels @ Jul 7th 2008 6:27AM]

i just got message saying theyre not being sold till 9th nov 2007

[Devyan @ Jul 7th 2008 6:29AM]

website back up but....

'Please note: iPhone 3G 16GB Black is currently not available' ON ALL TRAFFIS

[candyrob @ Jul 7th 2008 6:31AM]

Just jump back in time then nickels

[Martin Wong @ Jul 7th 2008 6:35AM]

only 8GB iPhone 3G available now... and the site is very slow.......!!

[Jamie Whitfield @ Jul 7th 2008 6:36AM]

Right I'm now getting annoyed!

The site has now changed to a "failover" page where you don't have to bother with an upgrade code, however you fill the form in, including card details then when you press submit an error page pops up!

It's not rocket science taking online orders O2, come on!

[Choosebary @ Jul 7th 2008 6:42AM]

I've been trying since I got my text message at 8:14.. I've failed so many times now :(

I do have over 15 authorisation text messages from O2 though! wooo! :|

[Hermiod @ Jul 7th 2008 6:44AM]

I have been trying to upgrade in the UK all morning. They've sold out online of 16gb ones and the website still doesn't work.

I am not a happy man. I will try a store on Friday.

[The Mighty Boosh @ Jul 7th 2008 6:49AM]

So this thread now turns to speculation on when O2 UK will get more stock of the 16GB version...

[nickels @ Jul 7th 2008 6:52AM]

this is what i just got
http://www.nickelslol.com/iphone.jpg

but i got it ordered \o/

[Dan @ Jul 7th 2008 7:08AM]

Carphone Warehouse have stock online...

[The Mighty Boosh @ Jul 7th 2008 7:15AM]

They are taking orders for 16GB, but it says they are not in stock, i.e. it's a back-order and no indication of when they will arrive...