iPhone causing a stir

Office staff across the UK will be waiting with bated breath as popular electronics giant Apple gears up to launch its revolutionary iPhone later this year.

And a recent survey by Harris Interactive revealed that the buzz among US consumers is reaching fever pitch, with 47 per cent admitting they were aware of the product and 17 per cent suggesting an interest in buying one.

Of the respondents that expressed an interest in buying an iPhone, nine per cent said they would buy one on the product’s launch, while another eight per cent said they would do so before their current contract expired.

Joseph Porus, vice president of Harris Interactive’s Technology Practice, said: "Apple’s new iPhone has shaken the industry to its core. Look for strong sales and a new cult to develop around iPhone. Also expect increased orders for midnight oil as competitors scramble to play catch-up."

However, it was not all good news for Apple, with 40 per cent of those quizzed suggesting the product was too expensive and would wait for the price to come down.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPhone during his keynote address at the Macworld conference and expo on January 9th 2007.