iPhone arrives in Ireland next month

Clodagh Mulvey

The much-hailed Apple iPhone is set for release in Ireland next month.

The iPhone will be available in 8GB an 16GB models, costing €399 and €499 (inclusive of VAT) respectively from March 14th.

O2 will be the sole carrier of Apple's iPhone

O2 will be sole carrier of the product in the Republic. Its tariffs will range from a €45 to a €100 monthly charge.

Combining a mobile phone, widescreen iPod music player and Apple interface, the handsets will be available through both O2 stores and the Carphone Warehouse, but customers must first opt in to an 18 month contract.

When purchased, customers will need to sync their handset to a PC or Mac, download the latest version of iTunes, and follow the activation steps.

Once activated, the iPhone can be used to store phone numbers, calendars, email accounts and web browser bookmarks, as well as music, photos and podcasts.

Yesterday, Apple COO Tim Cook said he had "really good confidence" the company could hit its goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of the year.

Apple also said it will unveil new iPhone features aimed at businesses, potentially stepping up competition with Blackberry devices.

Apple will also detail the software road map for the iPhone on March 6th. When Apple unveiled the iPhone last June, it only allowed outside software developers to make web-based programs, not ones that could be installed and run on the device itself.

The policy sparked an outcry among developers, who quickly found ways to crack Apple's restrictions and offer unauthorised programs. Within months, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs backtracked and promised to open the phone up to outside software.