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Report: Apple may offer unlocked iPhone in Latin America

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 · 10:08 am · 15 Comments

“Apple Inc., which plans to start selling its iPhone in Latin America, is reconsidering a strategy of offering the device only through exclusive franchises, Cinco Dias reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation,” Gareth Gore reports for Bloomberg.

The rest of the brief article here.

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Comment Feed

15 Comments

cedreca

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:21 am · Reply

I sure hopes Apple starts selling it soon in Puerto Rico. So far no release date yet. We have AT&T;, but so far nothing! Only those that either moved here or bought online have it .
Forrest, Forrest Gump

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:23 am · Reply

Here is the original page (in spanish) from the Cinco Días newspaper:

<A HREF=”http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empresas/Apple/plantea/vender/varias/telecos/iPhone/Latinoamerica/cdscdi/20080429cdscdiemp_1/Tes/”>
jtc

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:34 am · Reply

I dont think you need the html code since it didn’t seem to make it a link

http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empresas/Apple/plantea/vender/varias/telecos/iPhone/Latinoamerica/cdscdi/20080429cdscdiemp_1/Tes/"CincoDias

Maybe that will work??
Randian

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:42 am · Reply

What say you, MDN’ers?

Can Apple be offering so many countries an unlocked device (it seems) and NOT us in the good ol’ USA? What should we expect at WWDC in June?
Mac+

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:58 am · Reply

Apple should also consider Africa. I’ve spent 3 weeks in the Ivory Coast last month, and the iPhone was popping everywhere there. Of course unlocked. Just among my friends, 3 owned it already, and others were planning to buy it. And I don’t even mention the iPod.

Since Orange has a subsidiary there – “Orange Cote d’Ivoire” (and in other african countries), they really should start selling it out there. Otherwise, people will keep using the Dubai supply stream!!!!!!!!!
Mike

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:05 am · Reply

What is there to unlocking the iPhone. Could I buy one and just put my T-Mobile card into it? I’m in the USA but AT&T;doesn’t work very well where I live.
silverwarloc

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:06 am · Reply

Here’s a translation of the first paragraph:

Apple has followed the same pattern for the sale of the iPhone in the six countries where it distributes formally. A cellular-operator of the largest share-has the exclusive contract and the phone only works on your network. But the results have forced a reflection: Apple is rethinking this model before the departure of the iPhone in Latin America and even in some European country.
Predrag

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:08 am · Reply

I can’t imagine anybody in the “good ol’ USA” ready to pay upwards of US$700 for a cellphone without a plan, when they can get it for $400 with a plan. They would end up paying for that same plan anyway. The only ones that could presumably buy unlocked in the US are those where AT&T;signal is weak and T-Mobile isn’t. That would make it about a dozen or so people…
Macintosh

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:10 am · Reply

Apple must have simplified the back end of their Visual Voicemail or something, because I had read it was pretty complex and that was a big reason to stick with one carrier… But then again, that was probably a cover up to just get the revenue sharing agreements. Who knows…

I’m still shocked (and pleased) that Apple gets about $639 in the USA for the 8GB model after AT&T;pays them $240. With a supposed component cost of $180, they are banking a huge overall profit margin. I hope that continues with these unlocked deals somehow.
Predrag

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:38 am · Reply

That $639 is average between the amount of kickbacks they get for existing AT&T;customers and those who switch to AT&T;. Switchers rake in much more, and this is only for the duration of the first two-year contract. If people renew, kickbacks continue.
Gordon

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:44 am · Reply

Been waiting for it to be opened up here in the Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago specifically). iPhones are everywhere to be seen here in Trinidad. Even the Prime Minister/Emperor has one, as do many of the major local telephone provider’s executives. All of them have been hacked.
XamaX

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 11:52 am · Reply

The spanish article also says that they expect Spain to get the iPhone next month through Telefónica, the owner of O2.

Telefónica is also 50% owner with Portugal Telecom of Brazil’s Vivo so I guess them too will be getting the iPhone there.

In my view, that means PT in Portugal will get the iPhone. But what about Vodafone that is aid to be selling the iPhone in both Australia and India? Don’t they get a piece of the action too in Portugal and rest of Europe?

IMHO, Vodafone is too big to be left aside of this big operation Apple is preparing. Apple’s plans have changed and they are most surely just releasing it for every carrier that wants it and selling it through their own channels as well. It’s be abundance iPhone!
unlockit

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 12:34 pm · Reply

@mike : you can unlock it for T-mobile – no problem. just go to ziphone.org and download the software to unlock. get the T-mobile data plan and you are set to go. the only thing that won’t work is visual voicemail. I have been using it for 2 months with no problems.
Crabs

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 2:17 pm · Reply

@ Predrag

Actually, that would make (at least) around 2 million people. On the Wasatch Front (that’s in Utah), T-Mobile has much better coverage than AT&T;. The only company that has better coverage here than T-Mobile is Verizon. And I’d wager a guess that we’re not unique to that.
Euro Trash

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 2:57 pm · Reply

i live in europe and travel between 4-6 countries a month and i want an i phone but have to settle for a sony erricson and 6 sim cards
I don’t think apple should of partnered up with another provider, instead allow the consumer to purchase a sim card from any provider which is what i currently do now. If latin america get unlocked iphones at a reasonable price, i will definitely get my hands on one