“When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced last week that the company would begin selling its high-speed iPhone 3G in 70 countries this summer, Russian fans were enraged that their country was conspicuously absent from the list,” Tai Adelaja reports for The Moscow TImes.
“But in a televised interview last week, Jobs offered what could be a bit of much-needed relief for iPhone lovers, saying the gadget could officially go on sale in Russia by the end of the year. ‘We just didn’t have a chance to close [a deal] with Russia. And I think you’ll see [agreements] happen later this year,’ Jobs said on CNBC last week,” Adelaja reports.
“He said not having a distribution agreement with local mobile operators made it impossible for the coveted handsets to go on sale officially. In the absence of a distribution network, a flourishing black market for iPhones has sprung up in Russia, where there are already an estimated 300,000 users,” Adelaja reports.
“Yekaterina Osadchaya, spokeswoman for VimpelCom, the country’s second-largest operator, said Sunday that Apple’s new strategy, including price reductions on handsets, would bring many Russian operators on board,” Adelaja reports. “‘VimpelCom is looking at the possibility of holding talks with Apple about a distribution agreement for the iPhones,’ Osadchaya said. ‘This is a very auspicious year for the handset in Russia because we are rolling out 3G technology in 20 cities this summer.'”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Pieter” for the heads up.]
PLease keep the iPhone out of Russia officially. I need to make money when I take that trip to visit my in-laws.
This could be bigger than a meteor over Siberia.
It could set Siberia on fire!
Why is Russia often regarded as a vast area of Siberia only?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />)) According to the latest statistics, up to 500 000 “grey” iPhones have already been sold in Russia unofficially – 3rd market in the world after U.S.A. and China.
I can’t remember Russia ever being presented as a vast area of Siberia only. You mistake jokes (bad as they may be) with perceptions of Russia and after all the meteor was over Siberia had it been over Moscow or St Petersburg no doubt those would have been used in its place. Thankfully for life in those parts that is not the case and it remains a joke rather than very dark and tasteless humour.
“…Russian fans were enraged that their country was conspicuously absent from the list…”
Enraged?! Seriously? Either life is remarkably good in Russia or the author is really reaching.
” . . . had it been over Moscow or St Petersburg no doubt those would have been used in its place.”
There is doubt.
Yeah, I’m a Siberian guy with a beard. I and my favourite bear sit in front of this device (I’m not sure, but maybe, it’s a computer?), drink vodka and read macdailynews. Occasionally meteors drop down in our vast land. Hey, Jobs, give us those iPhones!
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