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From the very beginning, Apple’s smartphone has been something of a conundrum. Whereas it’s still to this day far and away the best mobile (pocket) computer and app ecosystem available from any single or even constellation of competitors, the iPhone isn’t much of a phone.

Thereupon, saying as much (especially in a headline) is a pretty darned reliable way to generate page views and the lads at CNet UK have taken the lesson to heart — “The iPhone is the worst phone in the world” — and garnished it liberally with a further 1,600-plus words, a sample of which reads:

If the iPhone is inaudible, unconnected, on fire and out of battery, why is the thing so popular? The fact is, although the iPhone is the worst phone in the world, it’s the best handheld computer there is. Web browsing is a revelation, it’s a fantastic music- and movie-playing iPod, and it’s easy as pie to install thousands of apps that do everything from editing your photos to tuning your guitar. And unlike its competitors, its responsive touchscreen and crystal-clear user interface make tapping away on the iPhone a real pleasure.

Hmm, truer words have never been spoken…

What’s your take?