I bought an iPhone this morning. I awoke to an email saying they’d start taking orders at 8AM, and not much after that the deed was done.

I admit, perhaps I’m being a little over-eager here. After all, none of us has actually yet tried out the new 3G iPhone. And there was no need to pre-order the original iPhone – indeed, it ended up undershooting sales projections.

But I think things are different this time around.

Back in November, when the first iPhone was launched, people liked what they saw, but few were genuinely motivated to migrate. It was certainly a very pretty and usable handset, but it was hard to see a knockout argument for jumping on board – especially with the original 8GB base model coming in at £269 plus an eighteen-month contract.

And, if we’re honest, the new iPhone still doesn’t have one outstanding killer feature. But the hefty price drop (down to £99 for the 8GB model) addresses one major stumbling block.

Factor in the built-in GPS, the forthcoming Applications Store, 3G data speeds (at last) and the gradual fading away of any lingering fears about “version 1.0 syndrome” and the new iPhone is a more attractive package in every respect.

And I reckon that, for a lot of people, the new price and new features will be enough to tip the balance. They were for me. You’ll have heard on the latest PC Pro Podcast that our hard-nosed deputy editor David Fearon has been won over too.

Even eco-warrior Matthew Sparkes, ordinarily a vocal opponent of consumerism, has been overheard plotting to escape his contract with Orange so he can sign up for an iPhone as soon as possible.

Crossing the gulf

Admittedly, we’re techie types. But we’re certainly not typical Apple customers. You may recall the vehemence with which Mr Fearon dragged Mac OS X over the coals back in our first ever podcast. My own views on Apple are not dissimilar. Yet here we are, putting our own money down.

Personally, I think that when the editorial staff of a PC magazine starts investing in an Apple product, that’s a pretty good indicator that the company has a runaway winner on its hands.

And, while I admit that I’ve been wrong about stock shortages in the past, I really won’t be surprised if this iPhone achieves what its predecessor couldn’t, gains mass momentum and sells out rapidly.

As to whether that really happens, we’ll just have to wait and see. For my part, I’ll let you know how I get on with my new iPhone as soon as it arrives.