Some time ago I gave a few examples of practical, everyday benefits of being a part of the United Kingdom as distinct from the Republic of Ireland. I've stumbled across further examples on a semi-regular basis since then, but I couldn't believe that the iPhone hadn't been released (officially) in "Ireland" [sic] yet.

Apparently there are a few complaints that the price of the iPhone in the rip-off Republic is going to be even higher than the price in the United Kingdom (of rip-off Britain and rip-off Northern Ireland) when it is finally launched down south (where it also looks like being an O2 exclusive), just 4 months after UK consumers got their mits on the device.

Follow up:

By my reckoning the price difference is minimal (£35ish), but following a recent tariff overhaul you get a shedload more minutes and texts with O2 UK (600 and 500 up from 200 of each versus 175 minutes and 100 texts with O2 Ireland) and unlimited data instead of the 1GB the Republic's customers will get. Being a relatively light user, that wouldn't bother me personally too much, despite unlimited data being one of the saving graces of the extortionate plan, but I'd be raging at having to wait an extra 4 months to get it; that is if I didn't want a Nokia N95 8GB instead anyway.

Oh, the launch date is the 14th of March, if anyone's interested.