A price cut of £100 has resulted in a mad rush for the base-level iPhone in the UK. As a result, the product is vanishing fast online and off the shelf. An 8GB iPhone now costs only £169, while the 16GB one costs £329. But it is very difficult to get either of them in the O2 or Carphone Warehouse outlets.

Stocks at both of the outlets are totally sold out. The official web site of O2 says that the 8GB iphone is ‘out of stock’, but buyers may consider buying the 16 GB version that does not offer any discount. O2 had won the race to sell Apple’s iPhone in the UK. It said that it still has some stocks of both the variant of the iPhones in a few of its retail stores, but it added availability of the 8GB device is “inadequate”.

In the meantime, the Carphone Warehouse, which is the only other retail outlet for the iPhone in the UK - confirmed that it has totally sold out of 8GB and 16GB iPhones in its high street shops. Even its online stores indicate that they do not have any stock left. Both are reviewing their stock situation. It is rumoured that a 3G version of iphone is about to be launched.