Apple launches iPhone 4 across Canada

TORONTO, CANADA: Apple invaded BlackBerry territoryFriday with the launch of its iPhone 4 across Canada. Frenzied Canadians lined upin front of Apple stores and other authorized retailers from Torontoto Halifax to Vancouveralmost 24 hours before the delivery of the smartphone started in Canada.

"It feels great in my hands. I am so happy about it,''beamed young Danny as he emerged out of the Apple store at the famous EatonCentre here.

"It feels as if it was mean for my hands,'' shouted theteenager, raising the smart phone as a huge roar went up.

Thirteen year-old Cameron Burgess, who had waited all nightoutside the store, could not contain his joy when he was handed his iPhone 4.

"It is way faster than my previous handset... way, wayfaster. You love it, you don't know why,'' shouted the boy as he set abouttweaking his new gizmo.

"For me, it is a new toy for me. Some of the newfeatures are cool...so it is a great new toy,'' said another first buyer of thesmart phone.

One person could be seen walking out with eight iPhonesbought for $6,000.

So brisk was the sale that Canadian stores went out of stockvery quick, reminding the frenzy that surrounded the launch of the previousversion of the iPhone in Canada.

A young woman, who ran from one outlet to another to buy thesmart phone, was almost distraught when she was told by the main Apple storethat the stock was sold.

"I think my iPhone quest is over for now...I admitdefeat,'' she said.

The Canadian launch comes with two models - 16 GB model for$659 and 32 GB model for $779 - with no contracts. Since customers in the US havecomplained about dropped calls if the smart phone is held in certain positions,Apple is providing free rubber cases to new buyers to help improve signalreception.

The iPhone 4 euphoria in their backward must not have goneunnoticed at BlackBerry headquarters at Waterloonear here.

To meet the Apple onslaught, BlackBerry maker Research InMotion (RIM) is holding a press conference in New York Tuesday to unveil its newestBlackBerry 9800 with a slider keyboard and touch-screen interface.

Aimed solely at consumers and youngsters, the new BlackBerrywill be RIM's first retaliatory shot at Apple whose iPhone 4 has eaten into itssupremacy in the North American market.

Apart from Canada,iPhone 4 made its debut also in Australia,Austria, Belgium, Denmark,Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore,Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The smart phone waslaunched in the USin June.