Life is simply not fair. South African public is still avidly awaiting the official release of iPad, and Apple goes and taunts them with another of their must-have gadgets, iPhone 4… to be meted out to the devotees situated at the tip of Africa – who knows when. One would think that FIFA World Cup 2010 hosts deserve some favouritism in this respect!

Truth to be told, even Apple natives (Americans) do not know when they’ll lay their hands on iPhone 4 through official channels. In spite of numerous glitches with pre-orders (errors processing requests online, inexplicable cancellations, multiple charges to credit cards, etc.) there was no bad rep. Spell-bound, folks in the USA are lining up for their iPhone 4. On the very first day, 600,000 units were booked and paid for. This is a record even for Apple.

There’s no doubt that, given the chance, folks all over the world would also happily pay for their iPhone 4 and forget all the problems the moment they get the handset – nay, even the moment they get a confirmation saying that the order was successful.

So, what is it about iPhone 4 that makes it so desirable?

At this early date, when most of the reviewers merely had a chance to play with it, everyone is singing such panegyrics it’s almost embarrassing. The Apple iPhone 4, they say, is everything that a new piece of technology should be: it’s innovative, attractive, and ahead of its competition. Or, as they say in Apple, iPhone 4 has transcended technology and ascended into the realm of fine art.

iPhone 4 is thinner than its predecessor, if is even more beautiful, it has a front-facing camera, and it boasts improved battery life: according to Apple, iPhone 4 allows up to 40 percent more talk time than iPhone 3 (the latter is notorious for probably the worst battery performance in the smartphones arena).

But – and here’s a big but – with the shipping date for the USA pushed to mid-July (from the original 24 June), it’s anyone’s guess when iPhone 4 will officially reach South Africa.

For your consolation, the device has already made its way to iPhone 4 and you’ll be presented with a chance to snap up either the 16GB or the 32GB version. As is usual in such situations, expect to pay an early adopters’ premium. In the USA, the 16GB model is priced at $199 and the 32GB model at $299. So, do your maths – convert dollars into rands, add the shipping charges, custom duties etc. and decide whether you still want iPhone 4 badly enough to pay the price the bidorbuy sellers are asking.

If you do, remember to go to bidorbuy to sell your old iPhone 3.

See iPhone 4 tech specs.

Take a look at other smartphones available on bidorbuy: Android, Blackberry, HTC, Motorola Droid, Nokia, etc.

Clarification: $199 and $299 for 16GB and 32GB models respectively are the subsidised prices in the USA, subject to a two-year contract with a specific cell phone service provider. The no-contract price tag for the 16GB iPhone 4 is $599, and for the 32GB it is $699.