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According to O2, more than 130,000 people have pre-registered for the new 3G iPhone model since its recent unveiling at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Only 35,000 people had pre-registered for the original iPhone between its unveiling in the United Kingdom on Sept. 18 and when it went on sale Nov. 9.

The launch of the initial iPhone in the U.K. was less frenzied as it was in the U.S… at least in part due to features lacking in the device… including no 3G connectivity. It seems now that global 3G support… corporate network integration… and the promise of thousands of new mobile applications for the device, are already reinstating the iPhone as a rapidly growing mobile product in Europe, even though availability is weeks away.

See Mark Hattersley’s “iPhone UK FAQ” for general questions about the 3G iPhone with O2.

Apple’s hope is that this is a successful trend already developing for the 3G iPhone. Apple is hoping the 3G iPhone will jump-start lagging sales outside the United States, particularly in European and Asian countries. Of all the complaints about the device in the first few months last year, only a few were really substantive, and they’ve been aptly addressed…. high speed cellular connectivity, corporate enterprise support, actual GPS, and a lower price. If Apple continues their track record of a compelling user experience and product quality with this new device… which is very unlikely to change… we will see a large increase in international market share in only the iPhone’s second year in existence.

Ronan Dunne, chief executive for O2 in the United Kingdom, told the Telegraph that the price of the original iPhone had been “an issue for some segments of the market.”

“iPhone has quickly become our fastest selling device ever and with this new pricing, iPhone 3G is an unbeatable proposition,” Ronan Dunne, chief executive of O2 in the United Kingdom, said. O2 will be offering the device at no charge with certain data plans.

O2 plans to start offering the new iPhone on July 11, which is the release date set by Apple.