Rent-An–iPhone Service Hits UK December 03, 2007
Read more Apple , Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Mobile Devices , Mobile phones , Smartphones , iPhone
Most Gizmodo readers – and people in the UK for that matter - agree that the iPhone is too expensive, which is why initial sales have been sluggish. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have one because a new UK company is offering people the chance to rent one for a day or a week.
It may sound bizarre, but online rental company erento thinks there’s a market for people who'd like a temporary brush with desirable products and hi-tech gadgetry. Already, some early UK iPhone adopters have put their iPhones up for rent for £29 a day or £99 per week. Not exactly a bargain but the rental market never is.
“Having coughed up quite a lot of money for this beautiful gadget, I heard about this new online rental site and figured that I could make my money back in a just a few weeks,” comments Steve Morrison, an enterprising iPhone owner and rental supplier on erento. “It is perfect for someone looking to impress at a party and is a really effective way of trying before buying.”
erento is new to the UK but has been running in Germany for four years and has more than 1 million items for rental, including 600 Ferraris, 2,500 motor homes, more than 1,000 bouncy castles and an ice skating rink.
“Society has traditionally been very obsessed with ownership but we think this is beginning to change,” says Volker Wohlfarth, Director of International Operations at erento.
I still think £29 for 24 hours playing with someone else’s iPhone is a bit steep. Now, a Ferrari on the other hand….-Martin Lynch
[erento]
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
Comments
I have a friend who has an iPhone and he loves it, however it believes its way too big to carry around all the time. For a music device its great, but for a phone that you carry everywhere it can be a pain, plus he is scared of scratching it.
Ive been advised of an alternative, you can buy a brand new mobile phone (U600 for example) and get a Free iTouch. There is also a headset available which allows you to answer your mobile phone through the iTouch. http://www.gear4blueye.com/uk/index.php
mmmm but this means having two devices...... I think thats the beauty of it. When i want to listen to my music (say on the train) I can stick my mobile phone in my bag or coat and use the iTouch for music, if my phone rings i can answer it through the iTouch (almost like a iPhone). It also offers the flexibility of leaving the iTouch at home when I just need a phone, say going to the pub or just anytime i do not want to carry the thing about.
Pro's and Cons to both, but least we have more than one option.....
“It is perfect for someone looking to impress at a party..."
...jerk.
I agree with Martin Lynch! I think the i-phone is rediculasley overpriced and if they want to be sold they should bring the price down a mile. Many of my friends want the i- phone but can't afford to buy it!
Bring the price down and i'll be a customer (lol)
Charlotte, Nottingham!