Long queues at Singapore's iPhone launch

iPhone 4 bursts into flames

See what's inside the iPhone4

APPLE'S iPhone 4 mania has infected many Singaporeans, with the handset retailing today at all three telcos, but some are giving the new phone a miss for now.

Financial-services manager Melvyn Yeap, 27, said he would not get the phone until its reception problems are fully resolved.

Last month, many Americans complained of reception issues with the handset. Apple is giving customers a free Bumper case, for a limited time, to address this problem.

However, industry players say these cases will not yet be available to customers here, and the telcos are still checking with Apple for updates.

Some people, like Mr Yeap, are not getting the iPhone 4 this weekend for another reason.

"I just got the iPhone 3GS about a month ago," he said.

SingTel was the first telco in Singapore to sell the iPhone 3GS in July last year. It was followed by StarHub and M1 last December.

Going by online chatter, some Apple fans are also waiting for the white version of the iPhone 4, instead of the black one on sale now. Apple said last week that the white iPhone 4 will be available later this year.

Still, demand for the handset seems strong. Marketing executive Satya Saya, 27, already has an iPhone 3GS but will get the new iPhone today from SingTel.

"It is a huge improvement in design over the iPhone 3GS," he said.

Queues began forming at 7am yesterday at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, 17 hours before SingTel's intended launch there. For now, the telco will allow only people who have gone online to book collection time slots - spaced two or three hours apart - to buy the phone.

The telco has set up 80 counters for the collection of phones.

SingTel is currently selling its batch of handsets at only one location, Marina Bay Sands, and is the only telco with a booking system.