Apple iPhone 4 spreads to more countries on Friday

Apple said its latest generation iPhone will become available starting Friday in more than a dozen additional countries.

The culture-shifting company has sold more than three million of the smartphones since it was launched a month ago in France, Britain, Germany, Japan, and the United States.

IPhone 4 sales will expand on July 30 to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The iPhone 4 sells for 199 dollars in the United States for the 16 gigabyte model and 299 dollars for the 32GB model.

Apple last week began doling out iPhone 4 bumpers to address concerns that touching certain parts of the handset chokes telecom signal strength.

In true Apple style, free bumpers were made available through an application that could be downloaded to iPhones from the Cupertino, California-company's online iTunes shop.

The gadget-maker is hoping a 29-dollar rubber-and-plastic case will put an end to the debate over the antenna on what Apple chief executive Steve Jobs calls "perhaps the best product we've ever made."

Apple said at its website that the bumper, which fits around the sides of the phone, will be free to all buyers of the iPhone 4 through the end of September.