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London calling Apple retail for iPhone 3G?

Apple has been telling iPhone 3G customers outside the U.S. that their local carrier is the only place to find an iPhone 3G on Friday, but a report suggests plans are changing in London.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
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Tom Krazit
You might be able to pick up an iPhone 3G at Apple's Regent Street store. Apple

Apple might let one of its retail stores in swinging London get in on the iPhone 3G fun after all.

Ars Technica is reporting that Apple's Regent Street retail store in London has iPhone 3Gs in stock, and plans to sell them to new iPhone users on Friday. At the moment, Apple's "Where to buy" page for the iPhone 3G in the U.K. still says that wireless carrier O2 and reseller Carphone Warehouse will be the only places to pick up the iPhone on Friday.

A discussion thread on Apple's own Web site reveals that a poster was told by an employee at the Regent Street store that while they couldn't share any information about whether or not they'd be selling the iPhone 3G, "there will be a press release very soon."

The issue of iPhone 3G distribution channels arose Tuesday when it seemed that Apple was pulling iPhones from its Canadian retail stores in protest of Canadian carrier Rogers' exorbitant rate plans. That seemed far-fetched, given the fact that Apple hadn't been planning on selling iPhones in any of its retail stores outside the U.S., relying instead on its carrier partners. Perhaps plans have changed.