Apple's announcement that it is to begin selling its iPhone in the UK on November the 9th has left the gadget obsessive (such as myself) with a major dilemma - do you buy a US model now, or wait?
The argument is complex.
Importing a US version requires you to install a small piece of (highly unapproved) software before it will work on a UK phone network. This is a relatively easy task, but leaves you open to future problems. In a nutshell, when Apple next updates the iPhone's software, chances are it will kill your phone as it tries to protect it's hugely lucrative exclusive deals with phone networks.
However, as Apple boss Steve Jobs admitted last week at the iPhone's UK launch, the chances are that within days hackers will have cracked the phone again in a hi-tech game of cat and mouse.
The official UK O2 approved model, on the other hand, will work perfectly straight out of the box, and even give you free access to wireless internet hotspots across the UK. However, you will be locked in O2's contract (paying between £35 and £55 per month), which while actually a pretty good deal, will involve changing networks for many people.
The answer? It's a tough one, and one that really seperates the nerds from the consumers.
Ultimately, importing an iPhone will require a reasonable technical knowledge.
For the average buyer, the answer is simple - just wait until November 9th, and buy the official UK version. That said, I'm putting my faith in the hackers. My US iPhone is currently winging its way over the Atlantic from a friend in New York. Perhaps it is just an admission my gadget obsession has got out of hand, but I'm actually looking forward to the tussle of tweaking the phone to keep it one step ahead of Apple's corporate crackdown.