14 DAY TRIAL // If you really want to be the only owner of an iPhone in your neighborhood, you can simply print its pictures and fold the paper the right way. With just a little skill, you could get something to be really proud of, as long as nobody from the vicinity has already had this idea... but if you want an iPhone that can also be used to do what it's supposed to do, then you'll have to wait. First, they said we'll have to wait until June, but now I just heard some rumors...
...but before moving on to what I heard, some personal thoughts. Apple shown the iPhone to the public too early, and the proof is that Asian producers are starting to market clones that become better and better with each new one. As an example, let's take Meizu - they announced a phone called M8, a "music phone" with 3.3 inch 720X480 VGA touch sensitive screen, 3 MP camera, ARM11 CPU capable of recording video at 30fps and full resolution, Bluetooth and TV Out. Well, at least it won't run Mac OS, but it is probable that this device will be able to run Windows CE 6.0. It really makes you think about the future, doesn't it?
Obviously, the rumors about the real iPhone from Apple are not confirmed yet, but more than just one or two reports say that the device will become available on the market sooner. Some say that Cingular is expected to have the iPhone available in late April - May, while others say that the delay is not caused by hardware or FCC certification, but by "the time needed to harmonize Cingular's backend with the mobile variant of Mac OS X that runs on the device".
Getting back in time, China Times has reported in November that Foxconn are going to start the iPhone production in the first quarter of the year, but since Apple beats its own forecasts rarely, you'd better hold your horses and wait to see what happens. After all, for me, it looks like the sooner they get the iPhone on the market, the better, but we'll have to wait at least three or four months, for sure. Anyway, no matter what happens, I'll keep you informed, so stay tuned!