I am waiting for OpenMoko phone which sure will beat iPhone in almost every feature.

Vuong, Cupertino, USA

I have been using my iphone for almost 3 months and love it. I can get on the Internet anywhere, get my email, listen to my favorite music and yes....talk on the phone! Its fun, it works and its very cool
Violet, California

violet johnson, Morgan Hill, California USA

"It’s a breakthrough phone, leagues different from what you can do today, and it is really easy to use,” Jobs says. Thats funny. Its a phone!!! Is there an under-current in the market today that says that phones are difficult to use?

Paul Ferry, Bristol,

Marcus and Jimmy are not alone.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/article2459930.ece

Russ, Reading, UK

The Apple fanbois would buy this phone if it was ten times the price and had half the features. It's all about image and Apple milk their fans very cunningly. A few weeks after it came out in the states they dropped the price by $200 safe in the knowledge that they had fleeced the Apple idol worshipers, who accepted $100 of itunes vouchers after all the hullabaloo and whining.

There are phones more capable on the market, but they just aren't as shiny nor do they have a fruit logo.

I've always thought the "i" stood for idiot.

Russ, Reading, UK

Charlie, your kids must be pretty poor with technology because the iPhone has both a camera and bluetooth. Not so perceptive after all, eh?

John, london,

Nokia N95 beats this phone in almost every important respect, except looks.
.
I can't believe that in 2007 anybody would release a phone without 3G - although I expect Apple will release an upgraded version a few months down the line to attract a 2nd wave of sales.
.
I also hear that this has a non-replacable battery, which effectively renders it redundant after 18 months.
.
Apple is all about style over substance, but fair play to their PR people because they are the best in the business.

Dave, Kent, UK

Amazing device, bought one in NY last week at $399 + 8.75% State tax (so $439). Broght back to the UK, unlocked in 1 day for free and now working on Orange pay-as-you-go... Best of luck :-)

Jeff, London, UK

I'd love an iPhone - but not under the current terms. I'll just sit around for a couple of months, let the novelty wear off grab one off ebay or gumtree... £400 tops!!!

Osei K., London,

In response to Harry, Winchester,

Surely while you do not agree with the content or conclusions reached in this article there is no reason to attack the writer on a personal level (especially in such an incosequential context as their ability to afford an iPhone). To do so is unwarranted and puerile and cheapens the value of these forums that allow people to express their views on current affairs. They are not designed as a means to belittle those who's job it is to write and report the news.

Nick, London,

Quite disgusting and sensationalist title this is.

Who ever adds up the total cost of a pay monthly contract and says that is the price of the phone? Nobody. So why the exception with the iPhone?

Manatee, Newcastle,

I'm not an apple hater nor a fanboy. The headline is drafted that way for two reasons, firstly this is the first phone in the UK that will be completely unsubsidised. The average brit has never had to think of the cost of their handset as part of the cost of mobile ownership before but if he/she wants an iphone they have to. Secondly, there are only 3 (expensive) tarrifs available (on the lowest, you are literally paying £10 a month for the unlimited data). I cannot comment on whether this gadget will succeed or fail (its impossible to know at this stage) - but the critical point in my mind is that apart from looking beautiful and having a novel GUI what more does this phone offer the avg UK customer. The answer to that question is "not much!". For example my mother has just been given a free N95 on a T-mob tarrif with Web and Walk and that phone does everything if not more than the iphone. Why would she (I refer to her as being representative of an avg Brit) switch?

Iheke Ndukwe, London, England

I thought I would wait out the hype and buy the 2nd version of iPhone, but I succumbed to temptation, and don't regret it a bit. I think Europe has a better and more unified cell phone system, and you are used to faster web browsing, easy-to-use multi-function phones that we in the states are lacking. However, while no phone will satisfy *everyone* this one comes close... Multi-EASY-function. One less device to carry. This headline of £900 is a little sensational -- don't most phones come with a contract. Shouldn't a handheld computer *cost* something?
You won't find many disappointed iPhone owners.

Anup, New York, NY

When you have one, you understand. I have never had any other phone which makes other people smile just to touch it. First time users figure out how to use every fucnction intuitively. Sure there are some things which don't work as well as WinMob or Symbian or SonyEric - but overall the iPhone comes out on top 9 out 10 times. I was talking with the head of marketing for Sony Ericsson Asia at an event here last weekend, and he claimed that the iPhone was nothing special. But how many SonEr models can you name, and how many really deliver.
The iPhone experience is seemless if occasionaly flawed, and it is a thing of beauty. Anyone who says this is just for posers or Anoraks are probably enjoying their Zunes and tucking up right now with a hot cup of Horlicks. If you're comparing products, the iPhone wins hands down. If you don't want half the features the iPhone offers, sorry, why are bothering to post? Your comments are irrelevant.

Dan, bali, indonesia

200 minutes and 200 texts for £35 per month? That is a very poor tariff and to add to that you have to pay £269 for the phone! I have tried to justify buying this phone but the contract deal available,2mp camera and only 8gb of memory make it look very uncompetitive indeed. I will keep my Ipod and continue to use another brand of mobile phone

Phil , Chester, Cheshire

in response to Tony in San Jose,

Tony, you are only partly correct - the headline is somewhat misleading.

But nevertheless, in response to "since when is the service part of the phone cost..."

You need to understand something about the UK... Until now every single phone ever made that graced these shores available on a Service Plan, was ALSO available to buy, at an obviously more expensive price point, as a SIM free (service free) unlocked handset.

As the iPhone is ONLY available on contract, and the first phone ever in the UK to be such, then in many respects, whilst you do get "service" included, the headline is still quite correct.

The iPhone in the UK WILL cost a minimum £899, and there is NO other way to purchase it (legitimately) for any lower price, SIM free or not .

If cannot be bought outright SIM (service) free, for a higher price than the £269, but without any additional service cost.

This is a whole new ball-game for the UK, and a VERY poor precedent at that

Patrick Rice, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

Harry Winchester: Having used an iPhone in the US I can safely say that my UK phone is at least as easy, if not easier to use than the iPhone.

My phone has email, is an MP3 player, a video phone, is a 3G internet device and has a usable keyboard to type on and pocket office. Oh, and it has a touch screen too...

To most of the Americans posting about the cost, you are right and wrong at the same time. Your are right about calculating the true cost of the phone on a comparative basis, but wrong when you mention 'free'. Each user will receive a bill every month on contract, so the service is not free. It is common here for phones either to be free or heavily subsidised to contract customers.

Looking at contracts on offer at the moment, the most expensive phone elsewhere is £99 and they offer a lot more functionality than the iPhone. The pricing is extortionate for the UK market, but I am sure it will do well as there are plenty of Apple devotees here...

C Wall, Cambridge, UK

I can't help but think a fool and his money are easily parted.

D Gibson, Melbourne, VIC/Australia

I have to say I was not impressed with the technical specs on this thing. But having played with one that was hooked up to wifi, it is, as with all of the ipod line, all about the interface. The zoom, keypad, switching from portrait to landscape, etc. are all very very well executed. My w810 can do everything this phone can do(except surf on wifi), but it can not do it as well. As a convergence device, this is the best I have seen to date. Still, it should really be 3g, so I'll wait for that version before plunking down the dosh.

don, toolonginusa, CA

What is all the fuss about? At the end of the day its JUST A PHONE!! Its not big, its not cool and it certainly isnt revolutionary, by any means.
People who buy this should be ashamed of themselves for being sucked under all the iPerbole surrounding it.

Amy, LDN,

Just for the exhibitionists. This is old technology with a new name.
Anybody who wants to pay for this needs therapy

Davey, Birmingham, UK

Just get a Sony Ericsson. They're a lot better. You get a Phone, an Internet Browser (operamini.com) and an MP3 player (or walkman player). And with the new k850i, you get a 5mpx camera!

tom, nope,

iPod, iPhone, iScam

Ed, Boston, MA

£1000 is a slightly sensationalist total. I easily spend that much on vegetables in the course of 18 months, but it doesn't make them a premium product. Do other phones all come with free call time and text messages? For a monthly plan that includes a generous data allowance and free Wi-Fi, the only premium expense here is the handset itself (£270). With VAT taken account of, it's about £30 more expensive than in the US. So it's expensive, but not ridiculous.

If you're happy with your current phone, then that's great. Leave well alone. I haven't seen a phone that offers the package that the iPhone does. Some offer things this doesn't have: 3G, notably. Others offer bits: email, video, web browsing, music player with downloads, maps, touchscreen navigation (thought none has the impressive UI). Most are cheaper. It's a choice you are free to make without griping and whingeing!

John Allen, Oxford, UK

>> "The basic handset will cost British consumers £269
>> - £69 more than in the US"

No it's not. The majority of the extra cost is VAT, while US sales tax is not included in the US price. So a bit misleading to say Brits are paying £69 more than in the US.

Steve B, Cardiff, UK

regardless of the cost of the service, the phone is £70 more expensive according to the article! Why do we always have to pay more than the US for products? Does anyone know what possible justification there is apart from the idea that the UK will stand higher prices?
Other things inexplicably hugely more expensive:
iPODs
Bose headphones
Playstation
Windows Vista (they officially said it was more expensive in other countries because of translation...last time I looked the americans spoke english! and its cheaper in Korea).
Oh yes and itunes music downloads.

andy evan, oxford, UK

I have 2 macs and like the look of the iphone. My expectations of a good phone are accurate 'address book syncing' with my mac and a good mp camera at a reasonable contract price + good looks. The iphone only manages the first & last bit of my expectations. Not good enough for me!

Billy Bop, london, uk

If you only want a phone for phone calls, then WHY are you posting a comment about the stunningly great iPhone?
Go away. You dont want one, we do. Thats fine.
Isnt there a comment area for people who want to spend 50p on the phone and nine years of 1000 minutes a month for two quid?
Its probably called the Scrooge site, or the NoFunForYou site....

harry wolf, vancouver, canada

I got one of these from the USA and can say compared to other phones I have had, it has a very poor camera, no mms and no slots for a extra memory card and the internal battery is a pain, and a non standard ear jack means you cant plug in your fav headphones etc.
Yes its looks great and has a great screen, but to fork out £270 and then 18 month's worth of a contract.
Hmmm far better phones for less money out there...
But if you have money to burn or worship Apple and Jobs....

Graham, shoeburyness, UK

I brought my iPhone in the US for £200 and used freely available software to activate it and then unlock it for use on the T-Mobile network. My biggest worry is that Apple will clamp down on the unlocks with future firmware releases, but so far so good.

James Blake, London, UK

why anyone in europe would get an iphone is beyond me!!

Most of the Sony Ericsson's and N series Nokia's offer far superior performance, better cameras and video capability, they offer flash memory and far more including music.
Th iphone is a fad for the americans.

If anyone really wants it for the touch screen, its worth remembering that it isn't proven yet (most of the american ones have sticky points where it doesn't work.

paul, nottingham, uk

iPhone is truly amazing for many reasons but in particular it has redefined what SmartPhones are all about. Which can only be a good thing for the industry as a whole.

Sam Davis, London,

I make life easy! I have a home phone and an aswering machine. If you want to talk to me call me at home. If I'm not there that means I'm at work and so I'm not supose to be on the phone on private business, so leave a message. When I get back home I'll take all my messages and unswer them IF I feel like it and as I feel like it. Life has never been so easy.

Fabio C, London, UK

Tony from San Jose - Phones in the UK are usually free with a contract. And you can't use the iPhone with an (o2) contract. So have some trouble following your thread, old boy..

Bob, London,

Keep your existing phone, buy an iPod touch, it will have all the features of the iPhone - large touch screen, web browsing plus proper iPod functionality. Bit expensive at 269 quid for 16 GB, but wait a few months and they're bound to have one with an increased GB size and probably for less quids.

Pat, Barcelona, Spain

Wait for IPhone 3.02--then marvel!

joel, Dallas, US Texas

Whilst I am happy to pay for a ipod, itouch, whatever, I'm not happy to pay for £269 for a phone and have an 18 month contract. It goes against the model in the UK and Europe and whilst a few early adopters will rush out and buy one, the fast majority will wait until the iphone is near to free before buying / upgrading. O2 know this so I don't know what smoke they are blowing up Apple's bum, but Apple are in for a huge surprise in the UK.

Martin Garthwaite, new malden, Surrey

For some people (me included), the integration with desktop computer apps (ie. Apple calendar, address book software) and the better useability compared to other smart phones will make it worth paying more than for a Nokia or whatever.

Yes, there are other phones that out-spec the iPhone in terms of camera resolution etc., but they're just not as user friendly... I gave up using a Sony Ericsson smart phone and went back to the simpler W800 because it's a pleasure rather than a pain to use. We all tend to get more and better use from things that are easy and fun to manage rather than awkward. So even though both of those Sony Ericsson phones can play MP3 files and have decent memory (with a memory card), I still use my iPod all the time because it is a better music player.

I don't see the Edge vs 3G thing being a big issue because access to wi-fi hotspots will allow fast web browsing most of the time, and Edge will be an OK substitute on other occasions.

Zog, LONDON, London

Looks cute but man it is not my idea of a phone.

Ojoatre Kaaka, Gulu, Uganda

I disagree, the iPhone appears to be designed around making calls easy. It's probably the best iPod ever, with the biggest screen which makes watching movies brilliant, and an internet browser which is the same as the one I have on my mac. I do a lot of work with the internet, emailing and calling peoplr, but ineed to be portable The iPhone will make it easier for me as I won't have to drag a laptop around with me. Yes, it's packed with features that many mobile phones have, but it's been designed well so that these features are really accessible and easy to use.

The price is definatly an issue for me, but if it will make my life easier it might be a worth it...

Jamie, London,

If all you want is a phone, then this clearly isn't for you. I have owned one for a while and its spectacular for those of us who used go to work carrying a phone, a music player and a PDA. There are tons of things you can criticize it about, but all i know is I enjoy it thoroughly. Its not perfect by any means, but in my opinion its better than the alternatives.

Brian, Seattle, USA

What Steve jobs doesn't refer to is the lousy post sale and post warranty service that apple provides in many countries, like Portugal. And the disrespect they show to clients who write a complaint letter to their customer service in the UK. They don't even bother to answer. I'm a 47 year old advertiser who is quite used do Apple products and was even responsible at BBDO Portugal for the launch of the Mac Classic an LC...remember? Now I have a broken down 20 GB iPod that cost me 450€ about 2 and 1/2 years ago (no more warranty). And the Apple sole representative in Portugal (Interlog) gave me a repair estimate with the price of a new iPod, which means THEY DON'T REPAIR!! A person at this company confirmed just that, with no shame on her face. This is immoral, and in business, extremely unethical. I also have a couple of advertising friends with the same problem and no one to turn to (since the UK customer support center doesn't care about us)

Paulo Mesquita, Lisbon, Portugal

Maddox. Enough said.

bestpageintheuniverse, Reading, UK

Having bought an iPhone in the States i can say that it is a remarkable device that has not failed to deliver on its promises. Yes it does not support 3G which will limit its marketability in Europe, but what it does do it does so well it is amazing. The touchscreen technology itself is revolutionary and will doubtless spawn imitators for years. Its seamless OS integration with the phone applications is perfect and the phone is not only easy to use it is enjoyable. When was the last time you could say that about a cell phone? The camera, iPod, web browser, etc are all excellent apps and I have had no problems at all with the phone. It really does raise the bar on innovation in a phone. It is expensive and Apple initially priced out most potential buyers, but has since corrected that in the U.S. it remains to be seen how it will be received in the UK, but it is definitely a cool little device that does its job very well.

Matthew Schweitzer, Columbus, USA Ohio

The visceral reaction to this launch is just so weird... This is a mega billion dollar market and Apple have brought out a product maybe 5 years ahead of the competition, it's not aiming to be mass market. It doesn't need to.
I'm happy enough with my Sony Ericsson and it's as good as any except maybe the Nokia N95 (more expensive than the iPhone) but the calendar, notes, and internet experience is atrocious. Te mp3 player is a complete joke compared to the ipod.
The are deficiencies in the iPhone but it's a first generation product. Other phones may compete in due course but the combination of it's Wi-Fi, music downloading, video, etc. means it doesn't need to compete with Nokia etc., and it's also a new category of mobile computing device (though crippled as to not eat into laptop sales), so Apple is broadening their platform too.
With Apple's sights possibly more investment in Wi-Fi it could be that the main threat to the iPhone are the mobile networks.

Tim Watt, Wimbledon, UK

Ye Brits pay about 100% more for most things than Americans do, so it's a freakin' steal to get an iPhone for only 35% more. That's absolute charity on El Jobso's part.

Kevin, Dodge City, Kansas

The iPhone looks ugly and having played with a Mac recently it would seem that the whole functionality is not about what it can it do, but how cool it looks! To me I am interested in a phone for its functionality and not for the gadgets that they think everyone in the world wants.

Also the pricing structure from the UK is crazy, why anyone would want to blow their money on something that resembles a colour coded version of a minature ZX81 is beyond me, but then again paying high prices, reminds me of those who payed in the Middle Ages Papal Indulgences so they would get to heaven in this case they want to be at the top of Steve Jobs Nirvana!

ps am not anti Apple, am just confused by their ego trip at the moment!

Jason Fishman, Beijing,

I like new gadgets, but in my view Iphone is not offering anything new. Almost all the N-series Nokia phones can do what Iphone does. I dont think Job was thinking when he decided to sell that phone for £1000 in the UK.

Good luck selling the phones here..... !!

Sam, Cambridge, UK

Why are products more expensive in the UK than in the US? Maybe someone in an unnamed country thinks that that is the fair exchange rate. Really though, possibly the U.S price doesn't include state tax whereas the U.K price includes 17.5% VAT (circa 40 pounds on a 269 pound phone).
No 3G is poor showing, though i'd be interested to see data allowances on each of the contracts and network coverage since I have had POOR experience with voda 3g on my mobile phone.
Third and final point is it is amazing how yesterday the headline was 1000 and today it is 900!! Has the sterling gained that much against the dollar? Is someone trying to be 'more' fair to apple/o2 than they were yesterday? There are many phones in the U.K that have worked out to over 1000 depending on the contracts end users choose because that is after all what this is, an end user's choice.

John Smith, Smitherton,

its something for fashion victims. I stick with nokia it has every feature I need in a phone device

samir, Chicago, Il/usa

I can't understand why journalists insist on labeling the price of the iPhone to include the total cost of ownership. The iPhone's closest competitors range between 100-300£ with a similar contract and most of those include less than 1gb of memory...not the 8gb you get with the iphone.

doug, washington, dc

Moan, Moan, Moan

If you dont like it, dont buy it!

Steve M, Surbiton, Surrey,

Why do the best phones always come tied to a monthly contract? I'd be a potential customer for the phone if I could have just put my existing pay-as-you-go sim card into it.
As I see it, the phone purchase should be between Apple and myself. Obviously, some provider would continue to get the the same level of custom from as they do now.
Why have Apple even had to enter in an agreement with any phone company? I really hoped they would break the mould not just with the phone, but in the way people use the networks. This is little better than blackmail.
I'm bitterly disapointed, and at this overall price level, I won't be buying.

Steve Fermor, Redditch, Worcs.

Apple is amazing. They launch one phone and the media coverage and public reaction is staggering. "It's brilliant", "it's rubbish", "there's nothing like it", "there are tons of phones that are better".......and on and on.
In contrast Nokia (or whoever) could launch 20 phones and you would hardly know anything about any of them unless you went to their website.
And the same goes for mp3 players, computers, operating systems. When was the last time you saw anything about a new line of Dell laptops?

Steve E, London, UK

I agree with Marcus, what most ou us really want is a phone that has good reception, and a long battery life. If I want an MP3 player or a camera, or surf the internet, I will use something specially designed for it.

I wish more phone companies would concentrate on the basics, and give us phones with more than 3 days battery life, than some gadget that does everything, but only for a short time.

Jimmy, Nanjing, China

Marcus - this is clearly not a device for you then! Surely the fact that the iPhone does not fulfil your particular requirements does not make it a bad product?

Tom, London,

So thats £269 for a non-3G device with no video-recording capability on a minimum contract of £35 for £18 months??

Ignore the hype and save your money, sure as anything an improved 3G variant will be on the way very soon.

In the meantime I think i'll stick with my Nokia N95...

Taz, Manchester,

I'm embarrassed to say it, but I probably won't buy one. This is really an expensive phone, ipod etc... although most of the Cloud/O2 wifi hot spots are in pubs or MacDonalds so there is that upside.
On the downside, will I have enough to buy a pint after £250 for the phone and £35 per month for 18 months with O2 ?

This is not an easy call

Bruce Robinson, Plymouth, UK

I get so tired of my Apple-centric friends forever bleating on about the virtues of Apple products. Sure they may look nice and glossy. But for me they are the ultimate triumph of having more money than sense. Not for me - but good luck to those who need them.

Rob, London, UK

Charles, the children got it wrong. The iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera. It also has bluetooth. We'll have to see what Apple does about adding more bluetooth applications. But they have not tended to rest on their laurels, so I'm sure there will be many software improvements. As is, it syncs beautifully with both my Apple and PC operating systems. Yes, it is expensive (more so in the UK apparently), but it is eminently convenient and user friendly.

Curt, Virginia Beach, VA

It doesn't have a camera or bluetooth - not a great start. But then it is horses for courses. I tend to be a form follows function person (whihc the Ipod largely does) - expalineed by me being an engineer. It looks good but to claim that features liek the MP3 player are amazing when so many people still resort to poor headphones when listening to it really does question how they are rating it - a bit like rating a ferrari by it's performance on the streets of Clacton. It may be the best (it's certainly one of the easiest) but the method of comparison isn't effective. Some will like it clearly.

john, Almaty, Kazakhstan

O2 are a nightmare company

Alun, Geneva, Swiss

Agreed Clark and Pete - it's a complete waste of money - only sad anoraks who are slaves to fads and "fashon" will buy it.

Christopher Larmer, Sai Kung, Hong Kong

After the nightmare I've had with my fab looking yet totally crap iPod that only works when IT wants to, I will not touch this thing with a ten foot cattle prod (even if I could afford it).

ursor, Weymouth, UK

"Why can't anyone make a decent product like a phone with a super long life battery."

I've got one, my old Nokia 5310i, the battery life is almost forever. It's got a small screen, black and white, and "features" callng, smsing and an alarm. Brilliant!

The Samsung "upgrade" I got is a pain in that respect. I'm considering sticking my sim back into the Nokia.

starling, Lancaster,

saw it in florida this summer whilst on holiday with the kids. They said it sucks cos its got no camera or bluetooth applications. ...and they're only children - how perceptive!

charlie, GRAVESEND,

The Brits will complain about it, and then buy it anyway. That's why prices are sky high for so many things: because the sellers can get away with it.

starling, Lancaster,

You speak as if nobody would want this simply because you wouldn't. The three-in-one is made revolutionary by its ease of use. Your phone surely is not as easy to use as the iPhone. Pull your head out and quit complaining that there are cool gadgets for people who can afford them, unlike you.

Harry, Winchester,

Why products in the UK is ALWAYS more expensive than in the US? Why are we treated that way??

John, London,

I love gadgets, and the iPhone is the most useful, appealing device I have ever owned. Crackberry addicts in the U.S. have been disappointed with the iPhone's business emailing capabilities, but as a casual emailer I have been more than satisfied. All the other features are really above any significant criticism. As a phone it's superior to the Motorola I used previously. The Internet is easily accessible and looks great. As an iPod it really is the best ever made...just think of it as a supplement and not a replacement for that 30 gb you already own. Buy an iPhone and have fun with it. (No, I don't work for Apple.)

David, Tucson, AZ

Ridiculous. I already have a phone that gives me loads of minutes per month + great photos, and with a memory card that gives me up to 4 Mb of MP3. Why on earth would I want an i-Phone? Its enough that I already own an i-Pod. I seriously believe Apple are gonna fail with this product.

Jay Davies, Beighton, UK

The cynics just don't get it. The iPhone is not about some laundry list of "features" -- most of which go unused. The multi-touch UI is amazing -- light years ahead of any other touch screen interface. The design is beautiful. The screen is big and bright. The phone is very thin and solidly built. The Safari internet browser is FAR better anything available on any other phone. The full HTML is email, visual voice mail, photo software are superb. Best mp3 player by far, best video player by far. No it's not perfect, but its much better than anything else out there.

Peter, New York,

I totally agree with Marcus' post. Why can't anyone make a decent product like a phone with a super long life battery. I don't want to surf on a 4 inch screen and I don't want to spend 15 seconds trying to make a phone call.

Simon, London`, UK

Thats crazy. i live in the us much cheaper

hghg, fghgdfh,

Um, what's English for 'dubious'?

1000 pounds for a phone sounds like a catchy headline, but is ridiculously misleading.

Since when is the service cost part of the phone cost? Such a ridiculous headline. A more ridiculous one would be "Apple unveils launch of £1,000 UK iPhone with one year of FREE service!" Maybe that was just too big a banner, eh?

Tony, San Jose, USA

Nice sensationalistic headline and first sentence, though I know the British press is known for it.

Not only is the minimum cost under 900, as you mention later on in the article, for that price you get 18 months service 'free.' See how I can put a spin on things, too?

I have a very hard time believing there has never been a 1000 quid phone in the UK if you include 18 months of service. What about the Nokia Communicator series? It seems like there is a constant stream of new phones released on the Continent that cost 600-800 euro, and 18 months of service will push the total far higher than even the iPhone's plans.

Don't like it, don't buy it. I didn't buy it at the USD$600 price when it came out, but did after the price drop, at USD$400. My monthly charge is now $20 cheaper than it used to be with my old carrier.

Reid, San Francisco, California

Why do u all winge on here! The iPhone is amazing. I'll be buying it on the release date! Roll on November 9th!

Rafael, Preston, UK

Marcus, then the phone for you is the Nokia 1100. Though it does have torch functionality... Don't know if that is too many features, but the thing is built like a brick.

Apple lost most Euro-users by not making it 3g. I don't know what they were thinking, but without 3g capability the much more sophisticated market will just look at this like the Nokia 8800. A prestige phone.

don, CA,

You can pick one up in Shenzhen, China for about 50 pounds, if you were so inclined: apparently they work great in Europe.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

I remember paying £2000 for my first phone in the eighties (contractor, so no fixed line), I paid thousands for subsequent phones.

Now I only take them as a part of a contract and would never buy one except the replacement I had to buy for £40 with £15 of free credit.

MUGS!

Clark, Gen., Switz.

then don't buy it.

Kevin, Stockholm,

The marketing on this product is amazing. '3 in 1! A phone, an ipod and an internet browser!!'. Only problem is, my phone can do all of that (the ipod is simply an mp3 player for goodness sake, not the second coming) and take pictures too! It's a waste of money for fashion victims. So it should do quite well in the UK.

Pete, Bristol, UK

i just want a mobile phone that will make PHONE calls and remember numbers since i don't seem capable of doing that myself anymore.
I don't want a camera, in fact i can't take my phone to work as it has a camera. I don't want an MP3 Player, i have a seperate device for that. I certainly do not want to connect to the web.

marcus, Köln, Germany