7 November 2007
One of the most-hyped gadgets of the decade is launched later this week in the UK.
Computer firm Apple's iPhone - its first foray into the mobile market - goes on sale on Friday, with demand from the public expected to be big.
It has already sold more than 1 million units in the US, where it was launched in July.
There has, however, been some controversy at Apple's exclusive deal with O2 - that would force all of the device's purchasers to sign up to an 18-month contract with the network provider costing at least £35 per month.
Customers will not, therefore, be allowed to sign up to other networks - a fact which some have criticised for being anti-competitive.
The £269 price-tag for the iPhone has also come under fire, as has Apple's decision to have already slashed around £100 off the US model's original £300 sale price just ten weeks after launch.
Incompatibility with fast 3G mobile internet connections has also proved another iPhone bugbear with experts.
Andrew Lim, Mobile Phones Editor of website Cnet, said: "People are going to feel ripped off if they have paid £269 for the handset and can't even get on to the internet."
Nevertheless, analysts at Gartner predict 400,000 UK iPhone sales in the run-up to Christmas.