prepaid

Customers in the UK hoping for the pay-as-you-go iPhone 3G may have quite a wait, according to The Register. Carphone Warehouse has announced that their pay-as-you-go models will be available in time for Christmas. They haven't specified what their prices will be yet, but they are promising more information as the time draws nearer.
[via The Register]

For those of you in the U.S. planning on holding out for that contract-free iPhone 3G that AT&T was planning on offering for $599/$699, there is something you should keep in mind. While the device will be offered to you unsubsidized and without the need to sign on to a binding contract, it will not be unlocked. You will still have to wait for a third party unlocking solution.

O2 posted a page on their website earlier today with details on the iPhone 3G pay-as-you-go plan. According to the page, the device itself under the new plan would cost £300 (about $593) for an 8GB iPhone 3G, and £360 (about $711) for the 16GB. It includes six months of Wi-Fi and browsing, after which you can purchase Wi-Fi and browsing for another £10/month (about $20). The offer would be available to all new and upgrading customers who purchase the iPhone 3G until December 31.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is predicting that 53% of Apple's total addressable market for the new iPhone 3G will be coming from prepaid plans and won't be willing to sign on to a long-term contract, and as a result, won't be privy to the subsidized prices of those that do. He also says that those who do this should be ready to pay around US$600, or three times the subsidized price, for an 8GB handset.

On Thursday, Italian wireless carrier announced its pre-paid pricing for the iPhone 3G. Unlike many carriers, Telecom Italia will offer a selection of pre-paid plans alongside its standard contracts, the 8GB iPhone 3G retailing for €499 while the 16GB iPhone 3G will retail for €569. The handset is slated to launch on July 11th within the country.