Is the iPhone the Paris Hilton of phones?

No, I'm not suggesting that the iPhone will have a penchant for bad catchphrases and a love of pinkness, but what the Hiltonite and the Apple empire do have in common is a very impressive amount of branding. Both names are known worldwide, and while we can debate whether Paris really deserves all the attention she receives, her level of notoriety is not in question. All you need to do is Google her and see the amount of star related blogs which all increase her popularity; and Apple have an equal amount of media attention from devoted iPod, Mac and iPhone followers.

The iPhone isn't available in the UK yet, but already the hype that surrounds it have whipped up mobile users into a frenzy with fake iPhones selling on eBay for extortionate amount, our own Shiny writer Susi off to New York to try and gain one, and debate is raging on Shiny as to what networks will offer the iPhone as part of their package.

The massive buzz surrounding it's imminent arrival has caused Apple's stock to rise sharply and if the phone is a success it will be another goldmine in the Apple family. The problem though lies in the fact that the phone, while highly touted as yet has not proven itself, and with any product that has reached such a high level of publicity prior to its launch, it had better deliver everything promised.. or else

Paris is certainly famous, but that doesn't make her statements any less vacuous or her significance anything more than decorative, and there are ears that Apple's enthusiastic campaign may actually affect sales; as surely nothing can live up to the hype of a camera, music, digital touch screen device style PDA (pause for breath) that offer multiple functions, easy user interface and a coolness factor hitherto unknown?

Demand for the phone will surely be high, and I predict a shortage of stock and shipping issues a.k.a The Wii fiasco, to create distention and uproar. Getting your hands on this mobile will elevate yous status.. as a potential mugging victim, so if you do get the coveted phone you know you can't use it until everyone has it, and where's the fun in that? Hopefully the iPhone will survive its launch, but its going to be a close call.