Yes yes, 3G iPhone. I want one, will get one and forever be enslaved to the wizardary of Apple’s marketing. But here’s a side to the story which I think deserves a little recognition.

The mobile phone companies are those that we love to hate. I generally deride them as a blood-sucking scourge, however the O2 pricing announcements today buck the trend of mobile phone companies whose company ethics typically rival that of the movie studios and big record labels.

Amazingly, O2 actually want to keep your custom through simply Doing The Right Thing. How utterly refreshing. Despite being just 8 months into my O2 contract, I can buy myself a new iPhone (which costs less than my beloved current model) and pay the same amount per month. Just so long as I agree to restart my 18 month contract. Is that really all I need to do, O2? They’re even offering it on Pay & Go.

It’s not very often that I have a good word to say about the mobile phone companies. But the iPhone seems to have been a catalyst, and that makes me feel even happier when I lay down the money, and get my 16GB white iPhone come 11th July. The stupidly-tempting upgrades also ensure one very, very clever move on Apple’s part to help shift even more handsets: they’ve basically sold two iPhones to each early-adopter here in the U.K. (at least, that’s the impression you’d get from Realmac HQ and Twitter).

With the new iPhone, better tariffs and a cheaper handset - not to mention iPhone Software 2.0 and the huge number of Corporate features- I can’t help but think that Apple’s initial approach to the market was a ‘dipping their toes in the water’ moment. With basically every initial complaint now answered about the iPhone, you’ve got to fancy Apple to blow their competitors out of the water - though I’m certain that certain enfants terribles will continue to tell us otherwise.

Update: Graham reminds me that the contracts remain inclusive of The Cloud WiFI and now also BT Openzone. Awesome.

It wouldn’t be a WWDC keynote post without saying: if you’re interested in an original 8GB UK iPhone (never jailbroken etc etc) you’re welcome to field offers here.

Tags: WWDC