Apple has launched its much-awaited iPhone in the UK. At 6.02pm this evening the waiting hordes were let into more than 1,300 Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores across the land to buy the device, which is a touchscreen iPod, mobile phone and internet browser all in one.

The scenes at the Apple Store in Regent Street, London resembled Beatlemania. A huge countdown took place as media scrambled to get through the door. Over at the O2 store on Oxford Street things were a little more genteel with around 30 people queueing by the time we left for Regent Street. O2 bods waited outside the door shouting "iPhone launch in 30 minutes" and the like, encouraging people to queue and handing out bottled water and cookies.

We're constantly uploading new pictures from the launch - see them here.

When we got to the Apple Store we joined a media queue. The scrum when we managed to get access (also at 6.02pm) was phenomenal. We headbutted a camera man and tripped over a newspaper photographer - it was a real battle for elbow room as Apple hosts greeted the first few buyers through the door with whoops and chants. They were ushered upstairs at the back of the store and emerged to walk down the main staircase in front of waiting photographers.

They held up their phones as they came down the stairs, delirious at the whole experience. Those in the queue seemed happy to have waited since the early hours in the cold. "We're here for the experience," said Sara and Matt from north London, having queued up since 5.30am this morning. "It's been fun actually - we've been fed and watered, and received lots of goody bags. Now we can't wait to get inside."

Chris, 24, spoke to Tech.co.uk just as he had laid his hands on his very own Apple iPhone. "I only queued up for a couple of hours so it hasn't been too bad. I've never been to an Apple launch before so this is really exciting."

'It's got all the latest technology'

One of the first ladies to get their hands on the phone, Darwina, said she loved the iPhone "Why? It's got all the latest technology - more than I'll ever use." And did she want it that bad to queue? "Of course!"