No iPhone yet, but the rumours keep coming thick and fast about the possible launch of a 3G version in Australia soon. Is this just loose talk, or should you hold off on that eBay purchase?
If there’s one thing that Apple fanatics love, it’s a good rumour. If there’s two things, it’s arguing amongst themselves, and we’ve often thought that love for Apple’s products all too often comes a distant third. There’s certainly a lot of anticipatory love for Apple’s yet-to-be-released-in-Australia iPhone, and the rumour mills are churning (and the fans are frothing) at a frantic rate right now.
Rumours have been rampant for months since the launch of the iPhone in the USA back mid-2007 regarding Australia's chance to taste the iPhone. There have been many dates and leaks of false info, so much so that some people even think Australia is never going to get it. Today however, Apple have been informing resellers of their iPhone strategy for Australia.
Resellers have been informed of the following things:
Last week of June release
More than 1 carrier
No contract lock in
Current resellers will be able to sell iPhones
That's a lot of juicy info there and might not make sense off hand. Let me break down the significance of this.
Last week of June release
This ties in perfectly with the Sydney Apple store opening, any WWDC announcements, iPhone 2.0 software and time for stock to filter in to the country.
…according to Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal. In a report from 9to5mac, Walt speaks about broadband in the US, and near the end of the segment, he mentions that the 3G iPhone will be here in 60 days. News coming from Walt should be a good source I would think, given his history with the iPhone.
If you don’t know who Walt Mossberg is, he was one of the “secret” testers of the iPhone before it was released in the US. He got one of the units and just loved it. If history repeats itself, then it is most likely that Walt is using a 3G iPhone courtesy of Apple. Who knows if he accidentally spilled the beans on the 3G release, given all the recent rumors surrounding the issue.
In the following video, title “How the FTC Should Stop Calling DSL Broadband“, Mr. Mossberg spills the beans at 6:35 in…watch it for yourself:
Considering how the iPhone is not even in Canada yet…this might be a hint that it could be coming. But then again, what’s the point of a 3G iPhone in Canada, if our data plans here are just pure and utter poop? We need a new GSM carrier in Canada, NOW folks!
Speculation is mounting over an impending release of a new iPhone supporting 3G networks, suggesting the much-ballyhooed device could reach Australia as early as the middle of this year.
With local mobile carriers rushing to convert their subscribers from 2G to faster broadband-like 3G services, the lack of a 3G-enabled model is viewed by analysts as the key impediment to releasing the device locally.
Analyst firm IDC said Australians wanted more than a large screen and great web browser and the appeal of an iPhone without 3G connectivity would be limited to die-hard Apple fans and the fashion conscious.
"It would appear highly unlikely that a 2G iPhone [would] be released in Australia, with Telstra focusing all efforts to migrate subscribers onto Next G and Optus and Vodafone both building national 3G networks this year. The 2G market in Australia is shrinking fast," IDC telecommunications analyst Mark Novosel said.
"In 2009 the number of 3G subscribers in Australia will outstrip 2G subscribers. By the end of 2009 56.6 per cent of all mobile subscribers in Australia will be on one of four 3G networks."
Apple has said the iPhone will be launched in Australia this year, but has yet to pin down an exact date.
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