Report: British put off by iPhone price

LONDON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Industry analysts say its high price and network restrictions have dampened sales of Apple's long-awaited iPhone in Britain.

Mobile network O2 -- the only iPhone network provider in Britain -- sold 190,000 of the handsets during the first eight weeks since the iPhone's launch in November, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

Industry analysts had predicted the sales would be much higher, the Telegraph said, noting would-be buyers were put off by the phone's hefty $528 price tag and the minimum 18-month contract with O2, the Telegraph reported.

Nonetheless, O2 said the iPhone attracted "unprecedented levels of customer satisfaction" and was its fastest ever selling cellphone -- triggering a three-fold increase in the number of people visiting O2 stores in the last two months.

Apple has sold more than 4 million iPhones worldwide -- an average of 20,000 iPhones a day, Apple reported Friday.