Gadgets have now become like our movies. Before the launch, there's lot of promotional activities which are aimed at building the hype.

The nation is currently gripped by the Apple 3G iphone which was launched globally a few days ago. While it's still some time before the gadget officially hits the Indian market, the nation is abuzz with tales of the iphone. Prospective buyers are consulting existing owners of the old version to know the pros and cons of this gadget of the year 2007.

But is the iphone really worth the hype? Mayur Lookhar caught up with few of our TV stars to know what they think of the iphone.

Gaurav Khanna: Well , I'm really fond of the Apple iphone and will buy one once it's available in India. The iphone is very suave, stylish and just its basic concept (touch screen) is something which we don't get in any other phone. Besides, Apple has always been different from the regular stuff. Though, its price may be on the higher side in India, we (Indians) have the purchasing power. When we can spend crores on imported cars, the iphone will cost just 25-30 grand. Also, girls like such stylish phones. So it's good to have them.

Nazneen Patel: Well not long ago, I had the option of buying the iphone or Nokia E 90 communicator. I rejected the former as it didn't have some basic services like SMS forwarding. Besides, I simply didn't like the look of the iphone. The Nokia phone cost me around Rs.35,000. Unfortunately, everyone on the sets liked the communicator and they bought it too. I always like to have something different, so I got rid of my communicator. My boyfriend has given me his HTC touch screen phone which I'm told is much cheaper than the iphone.

Manoje Biddvai: I bought an older version of the iphone last December. I'm completely satisfied with the way its working. As an actor, I seldom do get time to use my laptop. That's where an iphone comes in really handy. The biggest advantage is the instant access to internet. No longer do I have to carry my laptop.
The only thing that it lacks was faster internet access. However, the new model will erase that deficiency. The good thing is that I don't need to buy the new model but merely upgrade the existing piece with 3G.

Sanjeeda Shaikh: Well, I'm not the right person to comment on it as I'm not much into gadgets. Besides, I'm too clumsy when it comes to using a cell phone. I blindly buy what Aamir or my brother tell me to. They would never advise me to buy an iphone for the simply reason that I'm clumsy. I'm happy with my Nokia 6500.

Hiten Tejwani: The iphone isn't worth the hype at all. I used an older version and wasn't happy with it at all. The battery life is too small and besides I wasn't comfortable with the touch screen. It didn't take me long to switch back to Nokia. Indians are more comfortable with Nokia. My iphone is currently lying unused.




Shonali Nagrani: The iphone is a great instrument but it's definitely not for me. I'm not comfortable with touch screen phones. My friends have an iphone and I've used it a bit. I like to use my phone with one hand only and you don't associate that with touch screen phones. Often, you end up typing the wrong numbers or letters. I'm happy with my Nokia 6681. I only had to pay Rs, 15,000 for it. The iphone is more expensive.