14 DAY TRIAL // Sounds very awkward, I know that, but believe me it really is the truth. If you own a mobile phone running a Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone Edition you will be able to have a hands-on experience with the iPhone interface.
The ones that want to make their phone look like Apple's mobile handset will only have to install an iPhone look-a-like skin developed for the Microsoft Windows smartphone platform by a very talented WM5 user on the xda-developers forum.
If you don't believe that this really looks almost identical to what the iPhone users will get after its actual launch, then think about this. Why would the Apple legal team send and email to a blogger to remove the link and the screenshot posted on his website? Wouldn't it be just because that skin actually is that good?
If you still remember this has also happened a while ago with a guy that has developed a Vista theme for Microsoft Windows XP and, because that was probably the next best thing to the actual Vista experience, Microsoft has demanded him to remove all the files he has uploaded on the Internet containing that skin.
And that was what happened on a very fast pace, therefore that user who manufactured Windows Vista theme has disappeared as quickly as it appeared and so the people that want to feel what Vista is like will have to buy it as they should have done in the first place.
I am not sure yet if this thing will also bring you the feeling of holding an iPhone in your hands or if it will make your smartphone act like a time machine making you believe you are somewhere in 2008 and already have bought yourself one of the Apple cellphone jewels but, probably, you will at least be able to make your friends jealous.
If this skin has a longer life on the web than the theme for XP, we will only have to wait and see; but until then, I want to say one last thing. Apple could think this over and they will probably realize this is a good chance to prove people how highly appreciated their work is. Just think about it: if a Windows Mobile user wants its device to look like the iPhone (a product launched only a few days ago), doesn't this seem to be a proof of how good looking the interface is? To me, this situation seems to be extremely flattering; but we will have to wait and see what Apple official opinion is on this matter.
Pondering along on this matter, you may actually end up wondering exactly the same thing I did: doesn't this mean the iPhone has a lot of fans between the WM5 owners? It probably does and the only way to prove it will be to count the Windows Mobile enabled devices with an iPhone interface 3 or 4 months after the launch of this skin.
That's if Apple decides to make such an experiment and leave the guy that developed the skin keep it up on the Internet and available for download.