“Advanced Info Service, Thailand’s largest mobile phone operator, said on Friday it had failed to reach agreement with Apple Inc. to offer the 3G iPhone in the Thai market,” Pisit Changplayngam reports for Reuters. “‘We don’t accept Apple’s proposal to bring iPhone to the Thai market because we don’t think it will be good for us in terms of business,’ Chief Executive Vikrom Sriprataks told reporters.”
MacDailyNews Take: Presumably, Sriprataks flunked out of the same business school as Verizon Wireless’ former CEO Denny Strigl who also failed to see the merits of the Apple iPhone. Merits such as:
• Apple iPhone mobile Web market share surpasses RIM BlackBerry and Windows Mobile combined – January 08, 2009
• Analyst: AT&T defies economic slump thanks to Apple iPhone, tempts people to spend – December 04, 2008
• ChangeWave: Apple iPhone now #2 in U.S. corporate market share – November 20, 2008
• J.D. Power: Apple iPhone ranks highest in business wireless smartphone customer satisfaction – November 06, 2008
• Apple iPhone boosts AT&T’s wireless business – October 22, 2008
• Apple iPhone continues to exceed AT&T’s expectations – October 20, 2008
• Apple increases its lead in teenage mindshare; 30% plan iPhone purchase within 6 months – October 08, 2008
• NPD: Apple iPhone 3G is #1 smartphone in U.S.; AT&T big beneficiary – October 06, 2008
• Apple iPhone already leads Windows Mobile in North American market share, Q3 2007 – December 14, 2007
• Survey: Apple iPhone nabs unprecedented 92% satisfaction rating – August 16, 2007
• AT&T reports solid Q208 results highlighted by strong wireless growth, Apple iPhone 3G launch – July 23, 2008
Changplayngam continues, “AIS’s smaller rival, True Move PCL, a unit of True Corp, plans to launch the 3G iPhone in Thailand from Jan. 16, making it the first operator to sell the new phone in the fast-growing market. AIS, partly owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., was willing to renegotiate with Apple if the U.S. firm offered a new proposal, Vikrom said.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple will probably offer a new proposal — after AIS feels some pain — and it won’t be more beneficial to AIS, you can bet on that.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]
“AIS … was willing to renegotiate with Apple if the U.S. firm offered a new proposal, Vikrom said.” Ouch, they must not know anything about Steve Jobs. You know he still works at Apple Inc. and is not going away for some time now.
So, True Move PCL will now take AIS’s market share for the next year or more.
Oooooh going public with your sour grapes always works eh?
The only reason to come out with this statement is that they have already lost the contract.
Dumbass
Thailand is mainly a pre-paid or pay as you go market. It appears from what I can see that it is the business types that have monthly plans. A stipulation in the Thai market is that the phones have to be unlocked so they will work and service providers network. There is no problem buying an iPhone in Thailand anyway including unlocked Hong Kong versions for sale – albeit at a premium.
MJ
I have heard that they were launching with True as soon as January in Thailand. Offering subsidized for monthly plans or unsubsidized for more money.
FWIW, my white Italian 3G iPhone (non-carrier locked as with Hong Kong phones) was about $800 in Bangkok.
No problems keeping it updated with software revs through iTunes. No need to jail-break or sim-unlock. Permanently sold as unlocked.
Awesome.
I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. But worth it. The plans are reasonable. 4 plans, bronze/silver/gold/platinum.
Gold and platinum consist of:
– free phones (8 Gb or 16Gb)
– free wifi with true mobile
– unlimited internet for Platinum, 2GB for Gold (mostly EDGE/GPRS, only very few 3G locations yet)
– 200 minutes free talk time Gold, 300 min for Platinum
– 200 free SMS for Gold, 300 for Platinum
for Gold you pay 1699 / 1799 Baht (USD 48.79 / USD 51.66) for 24 months 8Gb / 16Gb iPhone
for Platinum you pay 1999 / 2099 Baht (USD 57.40 / USD 60.27) for 24 months 8Gb / 16Gb iPhone
Compare that with paying 29,000 Baht for an unlocked HKG phone (USD 832.00) and you still have to pay plenty of money to get your EDGE/GPRS…(Low usage will bring you to about 1500 baht per month talk/sms/edge, I’m on a monthly subscription with AIS making very few calls except occasional calls to my family in the Netherlands and Singapore to my company’s HQ and I’m paying 2,000 Baht p/month without any internet or fancy stuff, just plain sms and calls).
So, take 1500 baht p/month + 29,000 purchase and you see that True Move is a very good deal with free internet and wifi.
And yes, that means AIS will loose a (as MJ pointed out) highly valuable post paid customer that has been paying the bills timely.
I also forgot the link to the True page:
http://www.truemove.com/iphone/eng/price_plan.htm