The LA Times revealed half of the Apple stores on the west coast sold out of the device on the first day. The phone is only available from Apple and AT&T shops, and can only be used with a two year AT&T contract.

Reviews have mostly been glowing, although an estimated two per cent of users have been frustrated by the inability to activate the device. The consensus seems to be that the phone itself is excellent, but there are still lingering doubts over the lack of 3G, the onerous two-year tie-in and the relatively small memory capacity.

Speculation has also suggested Apple will launch the iPhone across multiple European operators on 3G later this year. Vodafone and T-Mobile are rumoured to be among them.

Advertisement