While the high anticipation for the iPhone appears to be justified in early reviews, Canadians will have to wait to find out if the technological gadget is worthy of the attention surrounding it.
When the iPhone goes on sale on June 29 in the United States, in two versions retailing for US$500 and US$600, it will culminate months of hype surrounding the gadget. Much of the excitement is derived from the technological features it combines.
"It's not just a cellphone, but it's also a video iPod and it's also a very fancy organizer," technology expert Kris Abel told CTV's Canada AM.
"It's the competition for the BlackBerry and the (Palm) Treo and it allows you to organize all your meetings and contacts, but it does it like an Apple computer does."
While it uses features already available in other technological gadgets, what differentiates the iPhone is how those features are accessed on its screen.
"The Apple iPhone is unique in that its touch screen works with your finger, so it's actually very sophisticated in that you only need to use one finger to be able to touch and move the various options. There's no keyboard, the entire device is just a screen."
According to a very favourable review in the Wall Street Journal, the glass screen -- as opposed to the plastic screen featured on many cellphones -- means that the iPhone is resistant to scratches to its surface.
The review, written by Walter Mossberg, widely regarded to be one of the most influential writers on gadgets and software, was published earlier this week. Mossberg tested the gadget for two weeks and reported the iPhone was "a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer."
When Canadians will be able to judge the iPhone for themselves, however, is still not determined. While people may attempt to travel to the United States or purchase the gadget online, there may still be obstacles to using the device.
Abel said that people who have tested the phone in the U.S. have found that compatibility with different removable smart cards is limited and this will probably impact the ability of Canadians eager to try out the technology to use the gadget, as it will not be going on sale in the country on June 29.
Additionally, the fact the device cannot be activated until it is connected with a computer and Apple software may also prove problematic for people in this country.
"The fact that you have to connect it to your computer and synchronize it this way to activate it may mean that it may not work with Canadians. Whether you like it, you may have the resources to go down and be the first one in line, you're still going to have to wait for it to launch here in Canada before you can actually get your hands on it," Abel said.
