O2 limit iPhone 4 to existing customers until August

That iPhone 4 handsets are in short supply is common knowledge; however UK carrier O2 has come up with a pretty extreme way of keeping their subscribers happy.  The carrier has announced that, until July 31st, only existing O2 customers will be able to buy the new Apple smartphone.  That includes current mobile subscribers looking to upgrade to the iPhone 4, or O2 broadband subscribers wanting to pick up an O2 phone.

In addition, the iPhone 4 will not be available through the O2 online store until "at least the end of July"; instead would-be buyers will have to head down to their nearest O2 shop or a Carphone Warehouse, Best Buy, Phones4U or Apple store.  You'll have to have had an O2 account of some sort – mobile, mobile broadband, home broadband and home phone customers – since at least May 24th to be eligible to pick up an iPhone 4 from the carrier before August 1st. Full pricing for the carrier is here.

iPhone 4 hands-on:

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