Unlocked iPhones available to purchase now, PLUS next-gen iPhone tidbits revealed

Online UK retailer Play.com are offering unlocked 8GB and 16GB iPhones for pre-order right now, with delivery expected to start on the 27th of this month. That's not all though, we've also caught wind of a little of what to expect when the new iPhone hits the shelves later in the year

Play.com are offering both flavours of iPhone at the not inconsiderable prices of £549.99 for the 8GB and £649.99 £599.99 for the larger 16GB but given the wording on the website which states "unlocked/SIM free" it sounds like they will be available to use on any network.

We already reported that O2 are lowering the cost of the current iPhone and combined with the short pre-order delivery date stated as March 27th (which sounds optimistic) it may suggest that O2's current exclusivity agreement is coming to an end in anticipation of the next iterations arrival.

Quite what that means in terms of network providers for the iPhone2 (or whatever they call it) we're unsure but no doubt the UK's other major telecoms companies will do their best not to be locked out of an incredibly lucrative market this time around.

Sleuths over at SiliconValleyInsider that cite a "plugged-in source in the mobile industry" have revealed that the next iPhone will have a "significantly faster internet connection."  Whether that means a doubling of speed to 7.2Mbps or even 14.4Mbps we’re not sure, or perhaps it's alluding to an upgrade of the on-board Wi-Fi to incorporate N-spec wireless connections.

In related news other sources are reporting that (unsurprisingly) the next-gen iPhone will have video recording capabilities too, which is long-overdue and more than a little bit of a sore point for Apple thus far. We just hope that while they are at it they swap the standard 2-megapixel camera that's in the current handset for something a little more substantial.

If you'd like to check out the Play.com deals for yourself you can see the 8GB version or the 16GB version over on their official website.

UPDATE – Play have now dropped the price of the 16GB version by £50 to £599.99 and the delivery dates have changed from pre-order to delivery within 4-5 days.