In spite of whether you like it or not, the Apple iPhone cannot be ignored as it is unquestionably one of, if not the most talked-about and anticipated mobile phone ever to be released.
Although many in the mobile community have been disappointed by the slightly lacklustre features employed, the main attraction of the brilliant touch screen and user interface did come close to making up for what was lacking elsewhere.
Although the firmware update (1.1.3) did solve the problem of not being able to send a text message to multiple recipients, but the lack of MMS still makes it a device that's lacking features that are available in all but the lowest spec mobiles.
For such a high-price the original Apple iPhone should really have had a lot more memory for the money instead of a pitiful 8GB. Now though, hot on the heels of the recently announced amendment to the O2 tariffs comes the 16GB iPhone.
Double the memory obviously means a lot more space for music and videos downloaded through iTunes as well as pictures taken with the 2MP camera (still the same I'm afraid.) It appears though that this is the only update which personally I feel is a shame and something of a missed opportunity.
Apart from upgrading the memory Apple could have at least made some other changes from the original iPhone such as adding autofocus &/or flash to the camera, picture messaging and the Bluetooth A2DP profile for music playback through wireless headphones, but alas they haven't bothered.
The privilege to have extra memory added onto a lacklustre mobile phone does come at a price. Whereas the current 8GB iPhone is priced at a still-unreasonable £269 + 18 month contract, the 16GB iPhone will be priced at £330 yet still require commitment to an 18 month contract.
Interestingly for the same price you can get the new 32GB iPod Touch (obviously without contract) and personally I think that this is a much better option if you want to experience the full physical interaction of the Apple Touch UI without being tied down to a long expensive contract.
If the iPhone still does interest you it may be worth hanging on for a little while as it's likely the Apple CEO Steve Jobs will announce some kind of price cut for the 4 & 8GB iPhones, just as was done in the US market.
