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SINGAPORE: Some say it is probably the most coveted gadget of the year!
Mobile phone users in the US queued overnight just to be the first few to own it!
And even before the much-touted iPhone is released in Asia, someone in Singapore already has it!
But there's a catch.
So tempting is the iPhone that Sadegh Mortazavy was willing to hand over more than a thousand dollars to be probably the first person to own the gadget in Singapore.
Apple touts the iPhone as a revolution in mobile phone technology.
A single button and a touch screen are all you need to make a call and do much more.
But be warned.
For all the iPhone's technological advances, eager beavers like Sadegh can't even make a single local call with the set he got from the US.
That's because current iPhones released for the US market are incompatible with Singapore's mobile phone network.
Still, that didn't stop Sadegh from getting one.
He said: "A friend of mine told me she'll be here in two days' time. I said, 'ok, get me three iPhones'. She was kind of surprised, (saying) 'why 3? It doesn't work there, you know!' I said, 'just get me one, should be enough for now'. The reason I got it - I just wanted to use the iPod and the Wifi, especially the address book, which is very important for me."
Right out of the box, the iPhone would not work at all.
So, Sadegh had to tinker and hack into his iPhone to access its many functions.
Even then, he still could not make that call.
Officially, Apple says the iPhone that is meant for the Asian market will not arrive in Singapore until the first quarter of 2008 or even later.
But local stores are already getting enquiries from customers!
Retailer Zachary Wong said: "The demand is huge. Every day, there are a lot of people asking us. And, there are even people ready to take pre-orders from us. Unfortunately, we have to turn them away. This is because the phone is not available in Asia yet. Even if it's available, it will still be subjected to IDA's approval."
Industry sources told Channel NewsAsia that one of the local telcos intends to order at least 100,000 units of the iPhone when it is launched in Asia. - CNA/ir
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