Photos: Steve Jobs and the UK iPhone launch

O2 is investing in its network to support the wi-fi capabilities of the iPhone and says it will have 30 per cent Edge coverage by the launch of the phone.

The operator's UK CEO Matthew Key (above left, with Jobs) said: "We are confident that we will sell a significant number of iPhones." But neither Apple nor O2 would give details of the financial arrangement behind the deal. Key said O2's own research suggested 80 per cent of their high value customers would like the phone, and 40 per cent of customers on rival networks would switch to get their hands on the device.

This is in line with exclusive research by silicon.com which found that one in three readers polled would be willing to switch networks to get hold of the phone.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger