Four Times More Interest in Apple 3G iPhone

If you were in any doubt; it looks like interest in the 3G iPhone is almost four times more than that generated by its 2G predecessor.

This comes direct from O2, Apple’s UK network partner for the device.

They say that over 130,000 people have pre-registered their interest in the new handset via O2’s website since the phone was unveiled a week ago.  Yup, that includes yours truly.

Compare that to the 35,000 people that pre-registered their interest in the previous phone between its unveiling on September 18 last year and November 9, when it went on sale in the UK.

Let’s face it.  The £269 initial price and being cuffed into an 18 month contract for the first iPhone was a bit scary, so Apple has allowed O2 to heavily subsidise the new handset giving it away ‘free’ on some contracts when it goes on sale on July 11.

O2 UK chief executive, Ronan Dunne, said that the cost of the 2G iPhone had been “an issue for some segments of the market”, but added that iPhone customers were spending 30% more a year on their mobile bills on average.

The fact that the iPhone has settled into a more standard UK mobile phone purchasing model and with that long awaited addition of 3G should see it breaking some records, if only those set by its trailblazing sibling.