O2 - How to deal with Stock Shortage the right away

O2 have put this statment on their site

iPhone 4 will only be available for existing O2 customers at launch 

iPhone stock will be extremely limited in the UK at launch and not everybody who wants one will be able to get one straight away. We want to make sure that our existing customers get priority so until at least the end of July, only existing O2 customers will be able to get an iPhone 4 from us. 

Whether you're an existing O2 mobile customer looking to upgrade, or one of our broadband customers looking to move your mobile to O2, our iPhone stock is reserved exclusively for you.

I have to say i'm very impressed with how O2 are handling their limited supply of the highly coveted iphone 4's. I fully expected that it would be a 1st come 1st serve basis with the emphasis on getting new customers but no! The focus is to reward loyalty by giving existing customers priority even if you are just a broadband customer bravo O2.

Read the full statement here

Orange and Vodafone to start selling the Iphone

Finally we hear the news this week that not only one, but two mobile networks will be selling the iphone, spoiling O2's exclusivity rain here in the UK.  

Personally I'm glad, some healthy competition can only be a good thing to us the adoring public. I'm not saying that I'm desperate to leave O2 but the lack of a reasonable upgrade options when the 3GS released did leave me feeling like an under valued customer to be exploited simply because I am an Apple fan. I mean I ask you, Apple comes to you and says 'we have re-invented the mobile phone, this is going to revolutionize mobile phones, and each year there will be an upgraded model to further push the brand' would your answer be as a mobile phone network.. 'ok we'll create a complete separate tariff for iphone users. Then we will only offer 18 month contracts as a minimum term so people wanting to upgrade yearly will have to pay silly money to get them, oh and now iphone can do tethering we will charge extra for that even though we don't charge extra for tethering in other handsets'? Ok rant over, for now.

So as I was saying, reports say that the two new sellers will have iphone available early 210. It should be interesting to see how their pricing structure compares to O2's current plan. I bet Apple are just rubbing their hand together, surely this can't only mean an increase in sale for them, I know a few people who haven't bought an Iphone simply because it isn't on their particular network.

So what do you think? Good thing or bad thing? If you are an Iphone user who will be changing networks? If so why? Please comment, i'd love to hear your thoughts

G