Forbes Questions iPhone’s European Launch

Forbes.com wonders if the Europeans will embrace the iPhone the way many wireless consumers have here in America.

Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone to Britain on Tuesday at the Apple Store on Regent Street, in the heart of London’s main shopping district, Forbes.com markets reporter Lionel Laurent wrote. The announcement spurred speculation about further launches in Europe, but Jobs declined to comment, Laurent said. “We’re announcing the U.K. today. We’ve said we’ll be in a few countries in Europe next quarter. As we roll those out, I’m sure you’ll hear about it,” he said.

But “questions remain over the iPhone’s technological ability to compete in Europe, where users rely more on wireless networks and 3G data transmission speeds than in the U.S.” That latter point is because the Europeans are still much further ahead than America when it comes to mobile media: Web surfing, mobile TV, and mobile music, among other things.

“This launch was slightly less than we were hoping for,” said Martin Garner, analyst with Ovum, in the article. “The device itself has not moved on in the light of initial feedback, notably on the non-removable battery and the lack of 3G.”

Will Europe Snub The iPhone? [Forbes]

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