Alternatively, the iLusting euMasses could just buy one off Ebay - a 99p eBid should secure an unused iModel, though admittedly "secure" isn't quite the word to use of an iPhone - in the full confidence that third party unlockers will soon have it connecting to any iNetwork you want.

UK, Germany and France.

Possible: Holland, Italy

I'm rooting for Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.

As a person from a thoroughly minor European country (Ireland) I am irritated by this. I suppose there is some hope that 'minor' means "doesn't make much money for operators" rather than "small".

Why don't they just do us all a favour and not bother trying to flogg their overpriced heap of junk on this side of the massive and expansive ocean.

We've got standards over here you see.

Could be quite possible that Ireland's on the list surely? Coz Apple UK is based there..

Apple should charge €600, the network should stick them on the highest tariff. Let's see if Europe has as many idiots as the US. After all, what's not to love about a 2.5G phone which costs 6x as much 3G phones.

Germany, UK, France for sure.

Italy is very likely, the population is big and they are massive phone users.

Or 'minor' = no telco that will bend over backwards for Apple's needs.

Isn't the issue here that the iPhone needs Operators to change their Voicemail systems to support the Visual Voicemail functionality. It's not as simple as just chucking in the SIM card of any GSM operator and expecting voicemail to work.

Definitely Germany and the UK. Uncertain if they'll base their decision on population size, pliability of network providers, or a populations phone usage per head.

They'll probably look at the iPod sales as a template for success though.

P.S. Does everyone know it's System Administrator Appreciation Day? What have you bought your admin person today? Plus, why is it they're the only nerds to get an appreciation day?

Thank you for dividing us into "major" and "minor", Apple. As a resident of one of the smaller eastern European countries, I really feel like buying your products now...

Not that I'd buy that phone even if it was available.

"As a resident of one of the smaller eastern European countries etc"

I wonder if it will be launched in Spain or Portugal. Or Switzerland - surely Switzerland is a major country, and the report says Europe rather than the EU. Finland, home of Nokia? Iceland, home of the insanely overpriced beer? Norway and Sweden, home of the naked blonde lady?

it's going to be 3G..?

Me, I'd much rather get the new SonyEricsson K850i.

I believe that handset will be available in both major and minor countries?

*cough*tossers!*cough*

"Italy is very likely, the population is big and they are massive phone users."

And they're already super regarding gestures.

--

Neil Anderson

http://www.cyclelogicpress.com

32 minutes for the iKnockers (tm) to get into gear for some really predicable whining. It's getting kinda funny...

Yeah, because Apple should be immune to criticism because they are like special.

Even if they do produce mostly average product beautifully presented at slightly inflated prices.

in the US there is a case for iphone - for some reason US phones are crap. In EU/Asia it will only succeed if idweebs (tm) get carried away.

I've got no problem with you liking Apple stuff, just try to accept that some people get annoyed at the implication that because we don't care (not 'don't like', just don't respond to the beautiful marketing) we are in some way biased or stupid.

Good luck with the K850i - I suspect it will prove to be as terribly unreliable as my K750i (won it in a competition)... and my K700 (freebie upgrade) that I had before it... and the T68i (free with contract) I had before that. None have lasted a year before developing some hardware issue or another (dodgy joysticks on all; knackered headphones - needed for the radio - on the K750i; total inability to use vibration mode on the T68i without it breaking the internal aerial) and I take extremely good care of my phones.

IOW, I will never get an SE phone again and I strongly advise others not to consider them at all - they have proved to be complete junk.

I've had a K800i for about 12 months now and it's been easily the best phone I've ever had in my life. If the K850i follows in its footsteps then I'll gladly give it a good go.

I hear the K750i has indeed had problems. My sister's kept crashing for no good reason. Can't speak for the K700, but my K600i and T68i always behaved adequately. The joysticks do feel a tad flimsy, I agree.

Either you've been incredibly unfortunate or I've been incredibly lucky. Considering SE are a serious contender to Nokia (or re they?), I'd like to believe the latter :)

I'm not an iKnocker, it's just that all the amazing features the iPhone seems to sport seem to fall to bits when you consider it has no HSDPA support. That alone makes it an inferior handset in my eyes.

"The SE K850i has no HSDPA either", I hear you cry?

Well, the SE850i will be sold as a Digital Camera that happens to also be a phone, and I suspect it will do its job admirably, if the K800i is anything to go by.

The iPhone is supposed to be your point of access to multimedia and internet and all things data-enabled... so crippling it with piddly bandwidth is unlikely to help it fulfil this role adequately.

You could make a better case for sticking it in the iPod section, or the phones,

or better yet, the Useless, but cool - since there isnt a Useless but trendy.

When it's all said and done, <b><u>it's just a fucking phone</u></b>. <br> Get yourself a secretary (PA for the politically correct among you) instead. They can do a lot more than any phone, and mine (little floozy that she is) can even make me smile when I'm having a crap day.

They don't even bother to put us on the iTunes support list, so it's very unlikely we're going to get iPhone any soon...

But I don't really care, I read Maddox's review and even through his characteristic writing, he made some interesting points about iPhone.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

As the home to Europes most shallow, gullible and rip-off insensitive consumers, the UK is surely guaranteed the status of 'major' by Apple.

So funny to watch people here get their knickers in a knot over the choice of wording re major/minor, as if it really made some vital difference to whether you'd buy it or not. It's just another chance for a bunch of whingers to have a whinge.

I find it interesting that people quickly jump on to knocking the phones short comings bandwagon without actually first waiting to see what the software changes in the phone are (which may include 3G support....... okay, probably not, but it may address various of peoples other criticisms of the phone).

I personally wouldn't bother with one, if i was wanting it as a phone till it had 3G support, but if i wanted a fancy iPod it could be alright for the job.

Well, since I'm based in the Republic of Ireland, clearly not a 'major' European country. I'm now even less likely to buy an iPhone.

How unbelievably patronising of you Apple! Time perhaps to send your PR people back to PR school?

It's reminiscent of the Bush Administration's approach to dealing with Europe i.e. his "New Europe" vs "Old Europe" way of doing business.