Darren Barefoot from Canada, where he still can’t get an iPhone, grew so tired of hearing iPhone news day in and out that he coined a new term: iPhatigue. Nice one.

I feel quite the same actually. The buzz and hype surrounding the iPhone has not let up and everyone is trying to ride on the wave by announcing their new iPhone applications or even sexy iPhone wallpaper. News sites and blogs can’t stop talking about it. Most of the podcasts I listened to all featured iPhone news to the extent I stopped listening halfway.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want an iPhone.

iPhone in Asia

Unfortunately, this deluge of iPhone news isn’t very useful to us outside of the US. So I did some digging to compile the following tidbits of news that will be more useful to Apple fans outside the US.

• The iPhone will only be available in Asia in 2008, according to Apple’s official iPhone press release. No hint of what month.

• Calvin Wee, marketing and communications manager of Apple in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines reiterates the point, and has nothing to add. He probably doesn’t know too.

• iPhone is expected in Europe in Q4 2007. As 3G penetration is high in Europe, it was speculated that a 3G European iPhone would be announced. Times UK reports that O2 has been chosen as Apple’s UK partner, but offers no clues to whether it will be a 3G version of the iPhone.

• With little information other than the above, we only have rumours and speculation of iPhone’s availability in Asia. It’s pretty much agreed that an iPhone in Asia will launch in Japan and needs 3G. Daniel Eran has got a great analysis of international iPhone challenges.

• Speaking of a 3G iPhone, Gizmodo reports that one is “in the works“. Meanwhile, DigiTimes says that Quanta computer has won a contract for an iPhone for markets other than US. Hmmm.. maybe it’s coming sooner than 2008?

Bottom line

With so little information to go on, it’s impossible to have a clear picture of the iPhone in Asia. And because the iPhone needs to be activated with a phone plan before you can use its features, you can’t just buy one from US and use it here. This means that you can’t even buy it to be used as a WiFi internet browser and iPod. Then again, if you’re willing to hack your iPhone, you could download DVD Jon’s Phone Activation Server to enable WiFi and iPod features without a phone plan.

I also wouldn’t bet on getting the iPhone immediately when it’s launched next year. My gut tells me it will be Japan and Australia only because those lucky countries have their own iTunes store. That’s pure speculation on my part though and frankly, I’ve had about enough iPhone rumour and speculation for a while. Just call it iPhatigue.