Apple iPhone buzz hits the UK

Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs made a personal appearance at the UK launch. It will be the first iPhone release outside the US, where the device has already shifted over a million units in just 74 days.

However, the build-up between the handset's first appearance and its UK release — now scheduled for 9 November — has allowed rival manufacturers to push out several devices that match or even exceed the iPhone's specification, such as Nokia's N95 phone.

European consumers are used to getting their handsets for free or at a heavy subsidy, so Apple might have difficulty in convincing them to buy the iPhone for £269 up front — particularly after it cut the US price for the device to only $399 (£200). With the 18-month contracts on offer ranging from £35 to £55 per month, users will have to shell out between £899 and £1,259 for the privilege of owning the device.

Photo credit: CNET.co.uk