Problems For UK Launch Of iPhone Keep Growing

It seems that Ovum analysts have chipped in their 2 cents with regards to the iPhone’s UK launch. It has been reported by Steve Jobs yesterday that the iPhone will launch in the UK on November 9th with operator partner O2.

Suggestions were made that in order for the phone to be a success in Britain, it would have to go 3G. This is not the case as the model launched will run on the 2.5G EDGE network as well as Wi-Fi where available.

Martin Garner, Ovum’s director of wireless intelligence has stated, “We think that this is simply inadequate and will frustrate a lot of users who take their iPhone to their parents’ house in, for example Cornwall, at Christmas and say ‘look how great this is for web browsing’”.

The major problem in this equation is the fact that O2 have only rolled out EDGE coverage to 30% of the UK. If you’re in a region with no EDGE coverage, the phone will drop back to the frustratingly slow 2G network, unless of course, there is Wi-Fi coverage.

The iPhone will work beautifully in areas such as London but for anyone in rural areas or in Northern Ireland, the ‘cloud coverage’ is no help at all.

Martin Gerner posed the question, “Will the shortcomings of EDGE coverage be compensated for by Wi-Fi? O2 said that their research shows that up to two-thirds of usage would be on Wi-Fi, either at home or out and about“