Updated! iPhone 3G in the UK: O2 Pay-As-You-Go + Unlock?!

Proving once again why telcos lead the universe in lack of customer satisfaction, within the span of a single day the UK's exclusive iPhone 3G carrier, O2, announced and then un-announced Pay-As-You-Go plans!

The original info revealed that you could get an iPhone 3G 8GB for £300 and 16GB for £360 on the PayG plans, with browsing (data?) and WiFi tossed in free for the first 6 months, and £10 a month thereafter. Offer valid to new and upgrade-worthy customers until the end of the year.

Now, however, the page is gone, the server is bereft, and only a very Apple-esque talk-to-you-later notice remains.

Accidental upload snafu, rapidly rolled back? Attempt to gaslight over-enthusiastic iPhone non-contractors? You decide!

UPDATE: Apple Insider is reporting that O2 may be honoring their usual 1-year-later unlock policy for the iPhone 3G on Pay-As-You-Go. This means, 12 months in, you could cough up £15 to get your iPhone opened up to any network.

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Rene Ritchie
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Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.