Apple iPhone Launched In UK

The latest venture into consumer electronics by Apple, the iPhone, has today become available to customers in the UK for the first time, which has seen strong early demand and queuing outside of official retail outlets for the latest mobile handset.

The handset, retailing for £270, is available in the UK as of today on an exclusivity agreement with operator o2 - a strategy Apple has implemented across the various regions of its iPhone launch so far to mixed reviews from analysts and industry experts.

With the exclusivity contract fiercly contested by phone operators in the UK, some analysts have cited Apple’s restriction as a potential flaw to the success of the handset, arguing that allowing all operators to work with the iPhone would inevitably increase the product’s reach.

However Apple have defended the strategy, suggesting that it will help ensure the right image for the Apple product, and the Apple brand. At present, the iPhone is only made available to customers on long term contracts, hoping to leverage o2’s commercial involvement in the deal.

Hot off the heels of the immensely popular, and widely cited marketing success, the iPod, the iPhone looks to capitalise on the fruits of the brand’s substantial advertising campaign over the last year or so, which will inevitably help raise its profile in the market.

Whilst the Apple iPhone has been billed as a major breakthrough in the mobile handset market, it has also been criticised by industry experts for lacking technological substance, particularly when compared with current market standard technology.

However with substantial marketing and promotional efforts thus far, and a swelling fan base of willing first generation buyers it looks likely that the iPhone will become a commercial success in the UK, further increasing Apple’s marketshare in the consumer electronics industry.

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