Zayar from Uranium Dance Group displays his most prized possession: an Apple iPhone.

IF Mac Apple were looking for a front man to lead their advertising campaign for the iPhone, they need look no further than Zayar, the leader of the Uranium Dance Group.

“My friends say they are going to employ me as a brand presenter for Mac Apple because I like the product so much. They are expensive, but the technology is good quality. Now I am using a 3G iPhone, an internet-connected multimedia smart phone designed and marketed by Apple. People say I am crazy for iPhone,” says Zayar.

He praised the simple, attractive design of the iPhone, singling out the touch screen, a liquid-crystal display with scratch-resistant glass.

The iPhone allows audio conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions.

For example, if a song is playing while a call is received, it gradually fades out, and fades back when the call has ended. The proximity sensor shuts off the screen and touch-sensitive circuitry when the iPhone is brought close to the face to save the battery. The iPhone 3G includes a tool to eject the SIM card; the original model required a paperclip. Internet access is available when connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area GSM network, both second-generation (2G) wireless data standards.

“The iPhone is like a personal computer. Once you’ve installed the software, you can do everything with iPhone. Apple has full quality control. Nokia, Sony and Samsung Phone innovate from time to time and the price goes up and down. But iPhone is not like that. Apple produced its second generation, 2G iPhone, then improved that with the 3G iPhone. The high price reflects the status of its owner,” Zayar said.

“A year ago I was using a 2G iPhone but the screen was broken accidentally. As it is expensive, I decided not to buy and used other kinds. But I wasn’t satisfied until I bought a 3G iPhone.”

Kyi Chan Nyein, supervisor of the “Mr. Fone” handset shop centre, said iPhone had been on the market since 2008 and is popular among young people because of its touch screen.

“But a lot of people don’t like because it is sensitive and difficult to repair – no spare parts.”

He said the 3G iPhone sells for between K800,000 and K900,000 and he expects it to become more popular when the internet connection improves.