Snug enough for the fishes

As the launch date for Apple's iPhone draws near, Europeans have expressed they are open to trying the tactile interface screens on their own mobile phones, according to BusinessWeek.

Research organization Canalys conducted a survey of 2,000 mobile users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. 23 percent said they would utilize a touchscreen interface, provided it had a large display and did not increase the size of the phone.

10 percent, however, said they would use a larger phone if it included a good keyboard alongside the touchscreen.

Notably, touchscreen technology was 50 percent more appealing to users that already had a strong interest in mobile TV or email, as well as GPS services.

The iPhone, which launches on June 29, has a 3.5-inch touchscreen with handset dimensions of 11.5cm x 6.1cm x 1.2cm.

Touchscreens aside, the most popular mobile phone feature among the surveyed was the built-in camera. 70 percent of camera phone users use this function regularly.