A UK designer has produced the world’s most expensive iPhone after giving it a £1.9 million makeover.

Stuart Hughes, from Liverpool, was commissioned by an anonymous Australian businessman to encase the device in nearly 200 diamonds.

The iPhone 3GS Supreme has been created using 271 grams of 22 carat solid gold, with the front bezel featuring 136 flawless diamonds totalling 68 carats and the back a further 53 gems.

While the front navigation button has been made from a single stone of more than seven carats.

"The iPhone is the phone with the most tricks on the market. What possibly could we do to trick it up more? Bless it with the finest precious metal and jewels," Mr Hughes told the Daily Telegraph.

"Most of the ten months was spent trying to source the diamond for the navigation button," he added.

For the rest of us, many iPhone covers are currently on the market, ranging from clear screen protectors to rubber cases or leather holsters.

A UK designer has produced the world’s most expensive iPhone after giving it a £1.9 million makeover.

Stuart Hughes, from Liverpool, was commissioned by an anonymous Australian businessman to encase the device in nearly 200 diamonds.

The iPhone 3GS Supreme has been created using 271 grams of 22 carat solid gold, with the front bezel featuring 136 flawless diamonds totalling 68 carats and the back a further 53 gems.

While the front navigation button has been made from a single stone of more than seven carats.

"The iPhone is the phone with the most tricks on the market. What possibly could we do to trick it up more? Bless it with the finest precious metal and jewels," Mr Hughes told the Daily Telegraph.

"Most of the ten months was spent trying to source the diamond for the navigation button," he added.

For the rest of us, many iPhone covers are currently on the market, ranging from clear screen protectors to rubber cases or leather holsters.

A BBC radio news presenter was saved by her iPhone after the corporation’s computer and telephone systems went down.

Alison Rooper, a Radio 3 newsreader, told colleagues to send her script to her iPhone device when systems crashed as she was due on air.

She told the Independent that after arriving at Broadcasting House ready to start her shift, she was told by an engineer "that everything had gone", including phonelines and computer systems.

After attempting to send her news script to a printer, Ms Rooper suggested that the material be emailed to her iPhone, adding that "it’s either that or we have no news".

"The words were reasonably clear on my iPhone screen. I had to just scroll through very quickly with my finger, hoping to God I didn’t do something accidentally," she said.

iPhone’s have become a popular device among businesspeople, with internet, email and stock and share information accessible through quick applications.

A number of iPhone applications are available to help people during the Christmas shopping rush.

The Independent has listed a number of recommendations such as The Better Christmas List, which is currently on sale in the App Store for shoppers who want to create their perfect list.

People can create groups for family, friends and colleagues, while a budget tracking facility is also included. A countdown clock to Christmas will also remind iPhone users how close the big day is getting.

The Gift Recommender is designed to find a present for ’someone who has everything’. The application gives last minute and original gift suggestions for everyone from Grandma to Dad.

Artistic types can also design their own Christmas cards on their iPhone with the Card Designer app.

Unique festive greetings can be sent from device to device featuring special designs or from a person’s photo library.

Red Laser is an application which lets shoppers scan barcodes of products, with links then given to the same item which is sold at a cheaper price elsewhere, meaning that people can pick up some bargains this Christmas.

Apple’s iPhone now has a 50 per cent share of the worldwide smartphone usage, according to a new report.

Mobile advertising network AdMob said that the iPhone and devices based on Android operating systems made up 75 per cent of mobile web traffic.

The October Mobile Metrics Report showed that along with the iPod Touch, Apple devices hold the majority share of the web-browsing market, illustrating the strength of its on-board Safari programme.

Other figures from the data highlighted a growth in worldwide smartphone usage, rising from 22 per cent to 44 per cent.

Last year, Admob’s survey showed that smartphones running the Symbian operating system held a commanding lead over the competition, however the iPhone has now crushed this and its over rivals.

The iPhone is also beating its rivals in mobile gaming sales. A senior executive from French company Gameloft is quoted by Reuters as saying that it sells 400 times more games on the Apple device than on the Android.