Apple opens up iPhone 4 orders, Walmart joins fray

If you aren’t an existing Verizon customer or you missed out on the initial Verizon iPhone 4 preorder frenzy, fear not. A day before the device goes on sale in stores, it’s available for order online and Walmart has become the second retailer to hop on board.

The Verizon iPhone 4 is once again available to order from Apple’s and Verizon’s Websites, but this time it’s not restricted to existing Verizon Wireless customers. You can get the iPhone shipped or reserved for in-store pickup, but keep in mind that if you aren’t up for waiting in what are likely to be long lines, the earliest delivery date has been pushed back to Friday, February 18; over a week after the public launch date.

In addition, Walmart has announced that it, too, will sell the Verizon iPhone 4 in nearly 600 of its stores across the U.S. It will become the second third-party retailer to offer the device, joining  Best Buy.

Existing Verizon customers had the first shot at preordering the CDMA iPhone 4 on February 3. Preorders ended later that same day, and Verizon announced that the device broke all of its previous first-day sales records in its first two hours of availability—and that was before the rest of us had our chance.

If you’re the type for waiting in lines, Apple and Verizon retail stores will begin selling it on a first come, first serve basis Thursday morning at 7 a.m. local time.