Vodafone releasing iPhone in Australia, Italy, India, and seven other countries
By Ryan Block 
posted May 6th 2008 2:36AM
posted May 6th 2008 2:36AM
Vodafone's just got a tiny, minor, insignificant announcement to make this morning: it's signed with Apple to sell the iPhone in ten markets, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy (so much for Telecom Italia), India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey. Expect the phone later this year -- that's all we know for now. Score one (or ten?) for Voda.[Thanks, iB3nji]
what's an outher country?
it's an "other" country somewhere "out"side of the USA!
They HAVE THOSE?!
Why was I not told of this sooner? You all have some explaining to do!
In all seriousness, nobody (with a brain) who lives in a country with 3G is going to buy an iPhone until v2 comes out and supports it.
@Vic the One
You would be surprise to know the # of iphones india.. (close to 60/70 K)
We wont be seeing the light of 3G for next 2/3 yrs atleast, still iPhone's will sell well here..ihope.
well I'm glad 'cause my cousin in India can get one as a legit. Jailbroken ones sell there for around 600 bucks, but he can get one cheaper and with no contract. no contracts are in india
Hear that Rogers, "Third World" countries are getting the iPhone before (or slightly after) Canada.
(i know eh) Canada is third world country for wireless technology!
Thanks a lot Ted!
Score one for my apple stock. But it begs the question, what self-respecting buyer doesn't do their research and discover that 3G is less than 45 days away?
well i would assume that the phone to be release in australia will be 3g since vodafone have no evdo in Australia
It's hard to believe! Go Greece!
YEAH HELLAS FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You all know what this means? No more whining Aussies! :D
This may shut up us whining Aussies for a while, but just wait until the release of the V2 iPhone is 'delayed' over and over again.
You won't hear the end of us!
Or until its priced at roughly double the cost for the US one :P
so we'll use our powerful dollar to buy up US stock =P
Does this mean exclusive to Vodaphone in australia? :o What about me and my Optus prepaid. :(
Everyone I know here (in Australia) has one anyway... they will just be now wining about the fact that the one that gets officially released is better.(V2).. Doh!
Vodaphone getting this has been known for a while, now is official... All my friends who work for Optus are SPUEWING!
The general rumor is that it will be carried by more then one phone company in Australia:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/iPhone-for-Optus-not-exclusively/0,130061791,339288589,00.htm
And
http://forums.mactalk.com.au/20/47520-australian-iphone-release-info-given-resellers-apple-australia.html
For those who can't be bothered to read the article:
Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network.
Good news I guess :)
According to La Repubblica, (repubblica.it) the phone will be sold by both Vodafone and Telecom Italia. For 9 months the phone can be blocked to work with only the distributing network, then it can be changed for a fee; and after 18 months, for no fee. A third-generation phone, 9.2 mm thick. Two versions 8 & 16Gb. There is also talk of a white model and a Ferrari red one...
Also Tim (the mobile operator of Telecom Italia) this morning has announced a deal with Apple to distribute the iPhone. That confirms the new Apple strategy of non exclusive deals.
Do you have any source for this?
this link http://www.telecomitalia.it/cgi-bin/tiportale/TIPortale/ep/contentView.do?tabId=6&pageTypeId=-8663&LANG=IT&channelId=-9793&programId=9596&programPage=/ep/TImedia/TICSList.jsp?fonte=Telecom+Italia&contentId=32029&contentType=EDITORIAL&tabId=6&pageTypeId=9537 to the official press release
thank you!
In India, people would rather buy a P1i or wait for the Xperia, than get a delibrately-crippled and expensive phone like the the Apple offering.
If Vodafone introduces the newer 3G iPhone soon, things might change, but in countries where value-for-money is stressed fanatically, fully-customisable phones will always win.
Lack of a good camera with flash on the iPhone, as opposed to other similarly-priced phones, and the battery issue, will cripple iPhone sales here.
Finally, when Vodafone does release the iPhone in India, will it mean that only Vodafone networks can be used on it? That feature will never work here. This is a country with such massive competition in the mobile sector that the prices have crashed to become the world's lowest, with incoming calls being completely free of cost. A locked phone just won't cut it.
Eh... incoming calls have been free in quite a few markets for quite a few years...
You sound exactly like all the other negative iPhone be-littlers that mouthed off before the initial release..., eat your words I say!
Yeah, it just wouldn't be engadget without fanboys and haters. You're not everyone, and neither am I. So you're not a fan, it doesn't mean everyone isn't, but sure, speak for all of India.
Cnet.com.au was reporting that Optus was getting the iphone in Australia.
If true this would back up the rumor of the new Apple strategy of non exclusive deals.
To Vinay,
The sign of any free market is choice. What you value is different from someone else. The P1i is available in many markets that the iphone is in yet the iphone continues to be a success.
Will it's success be limited due to the points you raise.... maybe. One could say something like that has happened in Europe with sales not being as easy to come by as it was in the US.
However does that make the product a failure ???
Also I think you are basing your assumption on current market conditions which I believe will be different moving forward.
In my opinion the next version of the iphone will be 3G it will have a somewhat opened platform and be available from many carriers well outside of the US.
Being someone that has had many smart phones I am tired of all hearing the "it must be open" for it to successful.
I really just want my key apps and I want them to work well. Some of the rubbish that is on WinMob and Symbian is amazing. If that is what open brings me then I don't care all that much for it. But then that is my opinion and not yours.
Incoming calls being completely free of cost? Isn't that normal? The only time I ever had to pay for incoming calls is roaming.
@Dave
I agree with your arguments. It's not just that the iPhone is not open, it's also got something to do with the price:
A P1i can be had for approximately 15,000 rupees in India.
An iPhone will atleast cost 30,000 rupees and above (current unlocked iPhones have been available in India immediately after its launch in the US, and its on-street price is 34,000 rupees for a 8-gigabyte model)
That's more than twice the price of a P1i for more or less the same features, with the added extra of expandable memory, a replaceable battery and a far superior autofocus camera.
http://shop.rediff.com/shop/searchv3_gall.jsp?Query=iphone&catid=&level=0&sortreq=3&frompg=iphone_search&startp=0.0&endp=0.0&pageno=1&more=0&brand=
@Dave - "the iphone continues to be a success"
Not in the UK it seems. Haven't seen a single iPhone on the streets of London yet (plenty of iPod Touches though). People don't seem daft enough to fork out £270 for a handset when you usually get one free with a contract.
Although it would be wishful thinking, Vodafone initially refused to touch the iphone and wait till the 3g version came out. Giving this timing, and the expected announcement of the 3G iphone, AND the fact that Vodafone in all those countries listed above have recently been partaking in massive 3G/HADPA upgrades and or announcements. Seems to point in the direction that they may release the 3G Iphone to those markets.
It would make sense, rather then restrict the market, open a huge portal to the customers on 3G networks within a close time frame disrupting the flow of Grey market imports and allow maximum market penetration.
Of course, we know a new iPhone will be announced shortly ;)
Rumors in Scandinavia claim the iPhone will be carried by Telia or 3 (which is 3G/HSPDA-exclusive) in Sweden and Denmark and Telenor in Norway.
in india !
wohooo
so far people in india with iphones used that sim unlock thingy to unlock and use the phone with the current operator's :)
http://www.vodafone.com/start/media_relations/news/group_press_releases/2007/vodafone_to_offer0.html
Thanks, was looking for the source!
Good news for Turkey.
Interesting turn of events since they were the ones that tried to get the iPhone sales stopped in Germany under T-Mobile.
• http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/20/vodafone-germany-obtains-restraining-order-against-t-mobile-ipho/
Vodaphopne now have the deal in Germany too.
Any source for this?
source = pal who runs a vodaphone shop.
Is there even EDGE in India? Actually I won't be surprised if Mumbai/Kolkata/Chenna/Delhi, along with like B'lore and Hyderabad has it. But say cities like Kochi (Cochin) - do they have EDGE?
Also, who's vodafone's partner in India? It's Hutch, is it not?
And pardon my ignorance, if I said something dumb.
This is probably for the 3G iPhone due out in within the next 7 weeks.
Vodafone India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group
EDGE is available in all major cities in India and works well.
Even smaller cities like Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) has EDGE (Airtel) and works very well.
As for 3G it may take another few years though.
vodafone bought hutch.....
Interesting that countries like the Netherlands and Spain are not mentioned. Vodafone is active on those countries and the iPhone is not currently offered (unlike for instance the UK, Ireland and Germany where Vodafone competitors already have the iPhone).
So that probably means that Apple is still in discussion with Vodafone competitors in those countries.
South Africa! How?
I'm in Johannesburg and have an imported iPhone - and know of 100's of others who have the same. But we do not have iTunes store or an official Apple retailer here (just official resellers and importers - the Core group). So is Apple going to launch in South Africa (and with and iTunes store) at long last??
I am from India, and I am willing to purchase iPhone on ANY network, at ANY price, with ANY kind of lock-ins and restrictions.
Come on, it's iPhone!!!
"ANY price"?
Does the budget constraint, a feature of the microeconomic model of consumer choice, not apply to you?