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There's never been as much to-do about a mobile phone as surrounds the iPhone. If you believe the hype, Apple's iPhone must be the end-all be-all of mobile telecommunication.
In truth, the iPhone, in which cracked versions have controversially already gone on sale in Bahrain, has its weaknesses. Moreover, mobile phones that have long been available are just as good, if not better.
The iPhone is currently on sale in Geant supermarket for BD359 - twice the US price - and locks if users try to download updates from Apple. Before shelling out that much money, consumers should take a close look at this phone. Apple argues the iPhone is actually three devices in one: a mobile phone, an MP3 player and a mobile Internet connection.
"If you're just looking at the range of functions, the iPhone does not have anything other mobile phones don't have," says Bernd Theiss of Connect, an IT magazine. Nor is its 2 megapixel camera much by present standards.
However, the iPhone's user interface is noticeably different from other mobiles. With its touch sensitive screen controlled at the touch of a finger, it's really easy to use.
"The touch screen is a clear advantage," says European designer Peter Zec. The touch-sensitive panel lets a user make a phone call just by running a finger over a person's name in the address book.
But the iPhone does not have a monopoly on touch screens. There's also the HTC Touch, which uses the Windows Mobile operating system. However, users need a stylus to enter information and commands.
Nonetheless, its lower price and the fact that it is not limited to one mobile provider - unlike the official i-Phone which will go on sale in the kingdom in the new year - might make the HTC an attractive iPhone alternative.
Samsung will also present a touchscreen competitor - the F700 - in November. The F700 includes a 2.78 inch colour display and a 5 megapixel camera. Unlike the iPhone and the HTC touch, which use the EDGE standard for data transfer, the F700 offers faster data transfer speeds via UMTS.
Anyone who plans to use their mobile as a multimedia device for playing music and viewing photos needs a lot of memory. Here, the iPhone is a standout. The iPhone comes with 8 GB of memory. The F700 will come with a 4GB Micro-SD card. Meanwhile, the HTC Touch comes with a 1 GB memory card.
If design is important, the Prada phone can keep up with the iPhone. The Prada phone, made by Korean manufacturer LG Electronics, even looks a bit like the iPhone. "And it's easy to use," says Mr Zec. Without a contract, the phone can be bought online for about BD242.
Apple's iPhone does not reinvent the wheel. Apple has actually put a lot of good technical details together into an easy to use entity. "The iPhone is just fun to use," says Mr Theiss.
It remains to be seen whether the iPhone is as good as the manufacturer claims. The true test of good design, according to Zec, comes after five years, if the user still cannot bear to be parted from his gadget.
