The UK iPhone - 28 Days Later

Queues the length of Regent street, Internet forums alight with fervent discussion, astronomical sales figures it can only be a new release from computing powerhouse, Apple. In this case, the iPhone, after many months of waiting the UK public has now had some time to search for, purchase and show off the hotly anticipated mobile phone.

Many people didn't think that the UK launch would draw the feeding frenzy experienced in the USA, but much like their American counterparts, UK Apple fans queued up outside Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores despite the typical drizzly British weather. The flagship Apple store in London was awash with press and photographers as the doors opened where customers were greeted by hoards of Apple staff cheering them as they entered to buy the first batch of iPhones at 6:02pm, a clever play on the network which the iPhone is locked to for 5 years (Telephonica's O2).

So now that the dust has settled on the media circus, the public has had a chance to live with the phone and draw their own conclusions. The response has been mixed to say the least with many people who didn't buy the phone nay-saying and people who have bought it singing it's praises to anyone that will listen. There is no doubt that the phone itself hits the mark with Apple's styling: minimalist, sleek and innovative. The phone only has two physical buttons, the majority of the phone is operated by a revolutionary touch screen interface with such elaborate gestures as pinching the screen to move photos around the screen and pushing two fingers apart to zoom into a fully viewable web site.

The inclusion of the iPod media player has done away with the owner's need for a separate mobile phone and MP3 player, but it's in other areas that the iPhone has drawn some criticism; some may argue some very basic areas too.

For example, the iPhone, at present is unable to send or receive MMS messages, something most basic mobile phones with colour screens can handle these days. The exclusion of high speed 3G data has been a sticking point for most, with Apple claiming that battery life is improved drastically by its omission and the inclusion of WiFi provides high speed internet when you need it.

It's not just Apple that is under the microscope, the UK's exclusive carrier of the iPhone, O2 have been under fire on internet message boards that the signal strength of the iPhone is very weak, however O2 responds that they experience these sorts of problems with all handsets and should not be solely attributed to their flagship handset.

The fact that anyone who wants one for themselves has to pay for the handset (269) is forced to be in a 18 month contract with O2 (Minimum line rental of 35 per month, subject to a credit check) is also off-putting to most UK buyers who expect more options such as buying their mobile phones on pay as you go for instance.. .In a recent survey 46% of British public refused to consider buying an iPhone based on pricing alone, which is hardly surprising considering the mobile market in the UK where handsets are traditionally subsidised by the network, even with top range handsets like the Nokia N95 being free on some tariffs.

The main problem that seems to have dented interest in the device is that considering how long it has been anticipated and the staggered release in the USA then the UK, is that when it eventually came out what was supposed to be a revolutionary, high tech mobile phone actually ended up having some decidedly "last Generation" features (lack of 3G, 2MP camera), the iPhone's saying grace is probably the brands name and it's interface, which luckily is something most buyers are impressed by.

Despite these criticisms all three companies involved stated that in the first weekend alone O2 estimated between 20,000 and 40,000 iPhones were sold. These figures would pitch the iPhone as one of the fastest selling mobile phones in the UK and is not surprising considering the hype and press coverage of its release.

Andy Adams is an IT worker and experienced writer

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