6th June- Apple has confirmed that its much-anticipated iPhone
product will launch on 29 June in the US.
The date was given in a series of TV adverts broadcast on Sunday,
and was later confirmed by a spokesman for the California-based
company.
The device, which combines the features of a mobile phone
and personal digital assistant, will sell for $499 (£251)
and $599, depending on configuration.
The phone's much-touted feature is a completely touch-sensitive
interface.
The adverts on Sunday showed off several of the gadget's
features, including surfing the net, watching videos and scrolling
through e-mails using a finger as a pointer.
They ended with the news that the phone would be available
"Only on the new AT&T" and "Coming June
29".
The product is one of the most highly-anticipated devices ever
made by Apple and was announced last January at MacWorld in
San Francisco by the firm's chief executive Steve Jobs.
His unveiling of the device managed to overshadow one of
the world's largest technology conferences, CES, which was
being held at the same time in Las Vegas.
Dominant player
Apple hopes to grab a slice of the global mobile phone market,
which dwarfs the market for MP3 players, of which it is the
dominant player with the iPod.
It hopes that the phone's multi-touch display, and ability
to work with its iTunes music and video store, will make the
device attractive to consumers.
Thomas Husson, senior researcher for the mobile market at
Jupiter Research, said: "The biggest selling points of
the iPhone are the Apple brand itself and the new user interface.
"Apple has stated it wants to sell 10m iPhones by the
end of 2008. That's less than 1% of the total mobile phone
market. But it is a significant target in the smart phone
market."
He added: "This is a premium product. I don't think
it will disrupt the market but it does raise awareness that
mobile phones can be used for entertainment as well as for
voice calls and SMS."
A release date for Europe and the rest of the world has not
been given.
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