Maxis to Bring iPhone 3G to Malaysia on March 20



KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – 11 March 2009: Malaysia ’s leading mobile operator Maxis Communications Berhad (“Maxis”) today announced that it will offer iPhone 3G 8GB for free on its iValue 4 plan from March 20. Maxis will offer a range new tariff plans, starting at just RM100 per month, tailored specifically for iPhone customers.

iPhone 3G combines three products in one – a revolutionary phone, widescreen iPod and breakthrough internet device – to create an incredible mobile experience. With fast 3G networking, GPS mapping and support for enterprise features including Microsoft Exchange, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. The groundbreaking App Store provides access to tens of thousands of applications from games to social networking to financial planning and health management, generating more than 500 million downloads to date. iPhone 3G is now available in over 70 countries around the world.

“As the nation’s leading operator, Maxis has always stood for innovation and distinctive customer experiences," said  Sandip Das , Chief Executive Officer of Maxis.  "We are very pleased to launch iPhone 3G in Malaysia as many of our mobile users have been eagerly anticipating this revolutionary phone. They will really enjoy the many embedded and downloadable applications from the first time they use iPhone 3G.” 

Maxis will offer the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G models with four new and specially designed postpaid plans called iValue, all of which are voice-data bundled price plans, starting from RM100 per month. For customers who sign up for a monthly commitment of RM375 over a 24-month period on the iValue 4 plan, the iPhone 3G 8GB will be free of charge.

The bundled voice and data plans are the first of their kind in Malaysia , reflecting the substantial growth in mobile data usage among Maxis’ customers. Maxis’ subscribers form the largest base of mobile data users in Malaysia , with more than 4.4 million accessing mobile internet services and sites on a regular basis.

“Malaysians, including our Maxis customers, are among the highest internet and data users in the world; and iPhone 3G will further enliven their mobile experiences with Maxis,” added Mr Das. “We are making nearly RM1.6 billion of investments into our networks this year. Over the coming months we will continue a comprehensive upgrade and expansion programme that will further enhance coverage and performance, including our high speed 3G data network.”

The new price plans on 24-month contracts are:

Price Plan :


iValue 1


iValue 2


iValue 3


iValue 4

Monthly fee


RM100


RM155


RM250


RM375

Voice credit (mins)


333 mins


666 mins


1,500 mins


2,500 mins

Data credit (MB)


500MB


1GB


2GB


3GB

iPhone 8GB


RM1,510


RM1,260


RM680


RM0 (free)

iPhone 16GB


RM1,890


RM1,640


RM1,060


RM260



NOTE: All customers are also eligible to add any existing SMS bundle to their iPhone plan at standard rates.

The Maxis iPhone 3G launch will be held at 7pm on March 20 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, where customers who have pre-registered for iPhone 3G will be invited to the event to collect their phones. Walk-in customers who have not made bookings may also register for iPhone 3G and will be notified for a collection on a subsequent date.

Maxis announced the launch of the special website www.maxis.com.my/iPhone. Customers can visit the site to find out more about iPhone 3G and iValue plans. To be one of the first people in Malaysia to own an iPhone 3G, customers can either pre-register via the website or visit one of the 29 Maxis Centres nationwide, as well as selected Maxis Exclusive Partners and authorised Apple resellers.

Further details about the launch can be found at www.maxis.com.my/iPhone. Maxis customers can also call 1800 821 123 for details on how to book their iPhone 3G devices and plans.

About Maxis Communications Berhad

The Maxis Group currently operates in three key Asian markets – Malaysia , India and Indonesia – with a 5,000 strong workforce collectively serving over 30 million customers and offering a comprehensive range of communications services, including mobile and fixed line telecommunications, value-added data and content services, wireless and fixed line broadband services and international gateway services.

In Malaysia , Maxis Communications Berhad (“Maxis”) is the country’s premier mobile telecommunications operator, with the lead in postpaid and prepaid (Hotlink) subscriber base.  The Maxis Group operates in India through subsidiary Aircel Limited and in Indonesia through PT Natrindo Telepon Seluler.

Since it began operations in 1995, Maxis has won numerous awards. Recently, the company was recognised as “Malaysian Mobile Operator of the Year” by Asian Mobile News at the 2008 Asian Mobile News Awards and “Malaysia’s Service Provider of the Year” by Frost & Sullivan at the 2008 Malaysia Telecoms Awards, due to its clear demonstration of leadership in business performance, brand value, sustained service excellence, network quality and product innovation.

Just because you and i (and most of lowyat.net - bloody cheapskates lol) are budget conscious, doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people out there with more money than sense and they'll pay whatever people ask of them.

This is a very vague "terms and conditions":
1. How would they know if you're not using your Iphone?
....