By the beginning of the fourth week in the new year, Apple's initial euphoric entry, coinciding with the advent of iPhones on Vodafone, is shortlived.  We, at Mediacells, wonder when it will be available on the '3' network, as a recent Mediacells study shows operator '3' customers to be the demographic most hungry for an iPhone. Hunger though, as we know, is little use if you haven't got the sheckles to pay for a square meal.

Vodafone is still in 'I luv Apple' mood

Carphone Warehouse

Samsung rules the big windows in Britain's biggest retailer with its prepay blockbuster, the B3410, going for a real deal value of just less than £90. Elsewhere, there's some Rim voice, largely attributed to the 9700 3G, as well as the almost army surplus standard Apple iPhone shout, that announces over the tannoy: "Now available on three networks".

Phones4U

Samsung goes head-to-head with RIM, in-store. Samsung sticks to using its non-touchscreen devices as hero phones, pitted against the in-demand 'Whiteberry' 8520.

Vodafone

Echoes of O2 stores when the Telefonica-owned UK market leader was still in its honeymoon period with the promiscuous Apple beauty. A stunning 100% of window space, in selected cathedral stores, is dedicated to the iPhone in all its guises; "it's the fastest, the most powerful, it's got a video camera, voice control and now go visit the App store," seems to be the combined messages. 

O2

Samsung and Sony Ericsson match the Tocco Ultra against the Aino, respectively, in selected high street windows, this weekend. The Sony Ericsson touchscreen is available for free on a £30, 24-month contract and the Tocco Ultra for £25 on the same terms. 

Would you pay £5 extra a month for a Sony Ericsson?

Orange

As the initial romantic sheen dims from Apple, in-store, Rim is there to clean up. A brace of Blackberries including the Bold and both popular versions of the Curve, are available for free on 'selected tariffs'. See the Mediacells Real Deal weekly tariff tracker for more information.

Revenge of the Killer Blackberries in Orange stores

T-Mobile

It could just as easily be renamed 'Nokia World' this weekend with the Finnish giant occupying a stunning 73% of high street voice in selected cathedral stores. The in-store communications have not yet picked up on the 'Free Sat Nav' promotional message after Nokia's announcement, last week, that it is now offering full NavTeq-style, sat-nav experience for free on ten of its big-selling phones. See Mediacells dispatch from the conference for further details by clicking here.  

Three

It's the tier two brands like INQ who are mopping up a lot of the window messages in operator, 3, this week, as well as Nokia's 'Blackberry' phones and the Finnish giant's most popular touchscreen phone, the 5800, mopping up the rest.

For details of the Mediacells Real Deal product portfolio, click here.