1. WHERE CAN I GET ONE?

The iPhone goes on sale at 6 p.m. on June 29 in AT&T (formerly Cingular) stores, Apple outlets, and the Apple.com Web site. If a store is sold out, you can still buy a phone (and select a plan) for later pickup or delivery.

Officials at the companies believe it will be available to anyone who wants one by the end of July. Both AT&T and Apple are hiring additional staff to handle the early crush of sales.

But as Apple has been training its store and telephone support staff since May to walk customers through the iPhone's many features, you may want to head there first. These folks, after all, will let you play with the gear.

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2. WHO'S IT FOR?

The iPhone is being sold as an all-in-one replacement for your iPod, BlackBerry, and digital camera. Someday it may be just that. But $499 is a lot to spend for only 4 gigabytes of memory. And don't forget the $60 a month you may pay for service and a data plan.

Such an expensive device should appeal to gadget lovers who want to connect to their corporate e-mail and other serious work applications, though typing may be awkward on the virtual keyboard. The phone allows you to grab personal e-mail from services such as Google and Yahoo!, but security issues may prompt big employers to prevent access to corporate accounts.

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Ask your IT folks if they have a plan. And there's no easy way to sync up with Microsoft Outlook e-mail.

3. SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL THEY WORK OUT THE KINKS?

There are sure to be glitches in this first version. The good news: Apple plans automatic updates you can download when you sync the phone with iTunes. Slow connection speeds will be mitigated by built-in Wi-Fi that lets you Web-surf at broadband hotspots.

4. WHAT IF I GET IT HOME AND DON'T LIKE IT?

AT&T usually offers 30-day, no-questions returns, but here it's deferring to Apple's 14-day return policy. Wireless service problems should be directed to AT&T; Apple will handle most hardware and software issues. Ask about warranty coverage; it is usually limited to 90 days and doesn't cover breakage. Apple sells extended warranties.

5. HOW'S IT COMPARE WITH OTHER HIGH-END PHONES?

The upside: The iPhone's "multi-touch" screen is simplicity itself, ditching mechanical buttons to free up screen space. The display adjusts to save power. The downside: iPhone is locked in to AT&T's network. Roaming fees can pile up if you're on other GSM networks, such as Rogers Wireless  in Canada and Orange in Europe. You may not get a data connection everywhere. And the battery isn't replaceable, so keep a charger handy.

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