iPhone gets thumbs-up from Brits

It doesn't even have a UK launch date yet but Apple's iPhone is on the radar of more than half of Brits.

Research from mobile market analyst M:Metrics shows 56 per cent of UK mobile phone users are aware of the device, and a large proportion of them (30 per cent) also have a strong interest in buying one.

Across the pond, where the device is due to hit shops in just over a week, 64 per cent of mobile users have heard of it but only 14 per cent expressed a keen urge to own one. The iPhone will launch in the US on 29 June.

M:Metrics said Brits are more inclined to buy an expensive mobile as smart phones are twice as popular in the UK than in the US.

Mark Donovan, senior vice president and senior analyst at M:Metrics, said in a statement: "This data confirms that the iPhone has sparked the imaginations of consumers and is not merely a topic of conversation among insiders and technology enthusiasts."

In related news, Apple has released more details about the iPhone, claiming its battery life is longer than that of any other smart phone -- at up to eight hours of talk-time, six hours of Internet use, seven hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.

It also said the device's display will consist of "optical-quality glass" -- rather than plastic -- to improve scratch-resistance.