Mar 16 2009, 11:23 AM
QUOTE
iPhone may not be exclusive to Maxis
By Goh Thean Eu
It all depends on whether Celcom, DiGi or U Mobile can strike a deal with the phone maker, Apple, says an industry source
THE Apple Inc's popular iPhone may not be exclusive to leading mobile operator Maxis Communications Bhd in Malaysia, which will start selling them on Friday (March 20), say industry sources.
This could potentially pave the way for other cellphone carriers to offer the touch-screen cellphone, and non-Maxis customers may wait until their carrier offers the iPhone.
It is understood that Apple is open for negotiations with other operators to sell the iPhone in the country.
"The iPhone 3G deal is not exclusive to Maxis in Malaysia. Having said that, it all depends on whether Celcom, DiGi or U Mobile can strike a deal with the phone maker," an industry source told Business Times.
As such, the deal reached with Apple would still give Maxis a head start because it may take several months before other operators formally join in to sell the iPhone.
When contacted, a Maxis spokesperson declined to comment on the validity of the information.
In a press statement issued by Maxis last Wednesday, there was no mention that the company had secured exclusive distribution rights for the iPhone.
Apple, which has traditionally insisted on partnering with a single mobile service provider in each market such as AT&T in the US, has begun striking more non-exclusive deals to sell its iPhone across the world. This is particularly so after its exclusive single-carrier relationships have raised eyebrows of European regulators and some mobile operators.
In February, France Telecom SA, the third largest phone company in Europe, lost a court bid to preserve its exclusive contract for French sales of the iPhone handsets. The court said in a ruling that contracts limiting sales of iPhone to a single mobile phone company are a "restraint on competition" that warrant immediate measures.
Three weeks later, French mobile operator SFR announced that it will sell iPhones starting April 8 this year.
Besides France, Apple has also signed non-exclusive deals with operators in Italy, namely Vodafone and Telecom Italia.
In Hong Kong, mobile phone users can now buy an iPhone from the Apple Store and use it on any networks.
In Singapore, even though Singapore Telecommunications Ltd is the only operator offering iPhones, it does not stop rivals M1 and Starhub from negotiating with Apple on another iPhone deal.
Meanwhile, Maxis, in the statement, said it would start selling the iPhone on Friday (March 20) and has also unveiled its "specially-designed" price plans, which range from a monthly commitment of RM100 to as high as RM375, over a 24-month period. The price of the device varies, depending on which package a customer chooses.
The "Maxis iPhone 3G" news have since generated much interest and discussions.
While there were many who were excited over the news, there were also those who felt that the price plans were "somewhat unfriendly".
By Goh Thean Eu
It all depends on whether Celcom, DiGi or U Mobile can strike a deal with the phone maker, Apple, says an industry source
THE Apple Inc's popular iPhone may not be exclusive to leading mobile operator Maxis Communications Bhd in Malaysia, which will start selling them on Friday (March 20), say industry sources.
This could potentially pave the way for other cellphone carriers to offer the touch-screen cellphone, and non-Maxis customers may wait until their carrier offers the iPhone.
It is understood that Apple is open for negotiations with other operators to sell the iPhone in the country.
"The iPhone 3G deal is not exclusive to Maxis in Malaysia. Having said that, it all depends on whether Celcom, DiGi or U Mobile can strike a deal with the phone maker," an industry source told Business Times.
As such, the deal reached with Apple would still give Maxis a head start because it may take several months before other operators formally join in to sell the iPhone.
When contacted, a Maxis spokesperson declined to comment on the validity of the information.
In a press statement issued by Maxis last Wednesday, there was no mention that the company had secured exclusive distribution rights for the iPhone.
Apple, which has traditionally insisted on partnering with a single mobile service provider in each market such as AT&T in the US, has begun striking more non-exclusive deals to sell its iPhone across the world. This is particularly so after its exclusive single-carrier relationships have raised eyebrows of European regulators and some mobile operators.
In February, France Telecom SA, the third largest phone company in Europe, lost a court bid to preserve its exclusive contract for French sales of the iPhone handsets. The court said in a ruling that contracts limiting sales of iPhone to a single mobile phone company are a "restraint on competition" that warrant immediate measures.
Three weeks later, French mobile operator SFR announced that it will sell iPhones starting April 8 this year.
Besides France, Apple has also signed non-exclusive deals with operators in Italy, namely Vodafone and Telecom Italia.
In Hong Kong, mobile phone users can now buy an iPhone from the Apple Store and use it on any networks.
In Singapore, even though Singapore Telecommunications Ltd is the only operator offering iPhones, it does not stop rivals M1 and Starhub from negotiating with Apple on another iPhone deal.
Meanwhile, Maxis, in the statement, said it would start selling the iPhone on Friday (March 20) and has also unveiled its "specially-designed" price plans, which range from a monthly commitment of RM100 to as high as RM375, over a 24-month period. The price of the device varies, depending on which package a customer chooses.
The "Maxis iPhone 3G" news have since generated much interest and discussions.
While there were many who were excited over the news, there were also those who felt that the price plans were "somewhat unfriendly".
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIM...icle/index_html
This post has been edited by ericpires: Mar 16 2009, 12:23 PM
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