After more than a year of anticipation, JOHN HARRIS hears rumours that Apple may be preparing to release its much-hyped iPhone in Australia.

The longest phone call in Australia history may end in the next few months if the rumours are true.

Ever since Australians first eyed the iPhone at its launch in January last year, they have called for the sexy touchscreen mobile phone to be sold in this country, but so far to no avail.

The iPhone won accolades as 2007's coolest piece of technology, with Time magazine dubbing it the invention of the year.

One reason is that it is all screen - a generous 7.6 X 5.1cm - so it's very easy to see.

Another is that it has today's most sophisticated touchscreen: You can "dial" numbers, browse music tracks and even resize photos with natural finger movements.

Thirdly, while it's a great phone, the iPhone is much more: An iPod, an Internet access device and even a personal navigation device.

Already, some impatient Australians have jumped the gun by buying "hacked" units that allow an iPhone to operate on mobile phone networks in this country, although this is a risky option.

One of the beauties of the iPhone is that its features can evolve as Apple enhances the phone's firmware, which is based on the MacOS X operating system.

US iPhones are programmed to use only on the AT&T network: While hacked iPhones can work on any network, the problem is they are "locked in time", as upgrading the phone's software risks returning it to its original locked state.

Mates who already use an iPhone reckon it's better having a limited version than no iPhone at all, but recent developments suggest Apple might be planning a down under launch.

South East Asian sources claim that Singapore Telecom and Apple have reached an agreement that will allow SingTel to act as the iPhone's carrier in Singapore from September. This has led to the suggestion that SingTel subsidiary, Optus, might be in the box seat for iPhone rights in Australia.

Another rumour from Asia is that a Taiwanese company has won a contract to build the next iPhone version, which many expect to support 3G mobile networks, such as those used in Australia.

Reports citing Bank of America sources claim the first 3G iPhones will begin production in May with large volumes appearing in June.

Research firm IDC suggests Apple is unlikely to release a 2G iPhone in Australia because the market for 2G phones is shrinking fast as Telstra moves customers to its Next G network while Optus, Vodafone and 3 roll out their own 3G networks nationally.

Apple declines to comment on this speculation: It has promised that an iPhone will be launched in Australia this year, but is yet to name a date.

So Australia's long call for the iPhone is yet to be answered.

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