Live in the USA and want an iPhone 3G? Better get up early! We already told you how AT&T stores would be opening up at 8am sharp, and now Apple Stores will be following their lead. (And if you’re in NYC and want to get it at the giant glass cube flagship, the line-up has already started, so hurry up and get your spot behind the hippies!)

As to what you’ll pay for an iPhone 3G, we’ve already covered how taking the contract price and then canceling may well be cheaper than trying to buy it unsubsidized, but now there’s word that even if you don’t qualify for the new or upgrade price, there may just be some dirty tricks a way around it (provided you don’t mind playing fast and loose with the rules, and have a friend with an iPhone SIM card and the will to let you active with it…)

Either way, make sure you’re iReady, figure out what you’re going to do with your old iPhone 2G, and get ready for Friday!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone in the USA: Apple 8am Kicks and AT&T Dirty Upgrade Tricks