... if regents street will start filling up with Fanbois in tents.

£20 a month (12-18months), Unlimited data + free iPhone would make me happy enough to buy one. However I suspect it'll be in line with N95 pricing (despite being a suposedly cheaper phone) and be £30-£35 a month.

I can't see O2 getting away with a £299 + expensive contract. People simply won't pay it when you could get an N95 and a touch for the same price.

They are definately upgrading their network - my Blackberry has been roaming between GPRS and EDGE since last week.

"I wonder if regents street will start filling up with Fanbois in tents."

You can bet that the UK Fanbois are already 'pitching tents' over this news...

Anyone thinking they'll get an 8GB iPhone and unlimited data tarriff for £20 has lost all touch with reality. No network is going to give away a £300 handset and unlimited usage tarriff as that's just a losing proposition from day one. You aren't "buying" it at that price, O2 are giving it away and the last time I checked they were in the business of making money.

O2 are unlikely to make any money from such a ridiculous price. In truth, contract phones are completely changing. Minimum tarriffs are going up or your getting less for your money. The operators have lost money hand-over-fist with over generous contracts. Now they're tightening their belts: O2 expect £35 a month for a piece of crap like their Cocoon. On the £35 a month tariff users can expect a whopping 512kb data allowance a month. The operators are starting to hobble the phones because as they give away more expensive phones they become less usable because the allowances are so small. With a data hungry device like the iPhone expect a very hefty bill. O2 might be happy to lose money on the iPhone because of the prestige involved with having it, the problem is they'll just turn the screw tighter on everyone else to make up the losses.

My money is on "Mama" as we are soon to be taken over by China.

And it will be delivered to you by a gold plated flying pig... I wouldn't be surprised if it was £399 with an inclusive 18 month contract. I forsee a healthy trade in unlocked phones crossing the pond.

I have to say that I really don't see the point in the iphone, is it not a bit too late too much and too big. The only people who would buy one is the say people that buy the bmw 1 series.

'Not that we've had one, of course. Apple's policy of not engaging with websites that speculate about its future products takes in The Register and, unsurprisingly, its sister-site Register Hardware.'

Ooooooooo....taking ourselves a wee bit seriously aren't we lol, I can't imagine Apple knows you even exist in the firmament that is the opinion-influencing epicentre of the blogosphere.

. . . before the event; then publicity for iPhone and publicity for whatever the event is actually about afterwards!

no wonder I'm an Apple fan.

"... I'm an Apple fan."

Then perhaps you should change your username to 'Dopey' ?

Heigh-Ho!