iPhone sales limited to one per person

United States stretches out the old stock 'til Captain 3G arrives

Things are (very) slowly but surely winding up in the weird and whacky world of the iPhone. Yesterday, the head honcho at O2, the sole UK operator, announced the 3G version will be unveiled in the "coming weeks", which is as non-committal as ever, but at least it wasn't the "coming months".

Expectation has today been ramped further though, thanks to a leaked internal memo from sole operator across the pond AT&T, informing staff that limited non-3G iPhone stocks mean customers can now buy only one instead of the previous limit of three.

"Effective May 14, 2008, customers can only purchase one iPhone at AT&T stores. The prior limit of three iPhones is no longer in effect," it says, implying Apple is no longer making the current model in anticipation of offloading them all before 3G strolls onto the scene. UK sellers are still only showing 16GB models available in the UK. It's so close we can almost taste the Appley goodness now.

As to an actual date, your guess is as good as ours. Chief of Telefonica Europe Matthew Key spoke to press answering more and more impatient questions as to its availability, saying, "That's more of a question for Apple... but over the coming weeks we will do a joint announcement with Apple as Telefonica Group". Stay vigilant.