iPhone in SA on July 20
Vodacom will launch the highly-anticipated 3G iPhone in South Africa on July 20.
Although Apple is notoriously secretive about new product releases, the new iPhone is due to be announced by CEO Steve Jobs on June 9, in one of the worst-kept secrets in the computer industry.
Vodacom’s launch is part of the 10-country deal that 50% parent Vodafone announced last month, confirming speculation over the iPhone 2.0 announcement. At the time Vodafone would only say “later this year”.
Vodacom has not confirmed this to me, but i have it from a very reliable source who has seen the new iPhone.
Now the iPhone - which was previously only available in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France - is expected to be available in some 70 countries as Apple has expanded its deals with network operators.
Apple is also expected to reduce the pricing, hoping to make money through the revenue sharing deals it is widely thought to have struck with operators.
Vodacom is understood to be testing the 3G model which has a black, instead of silver, back and a slightly larger screen.
South Africans have been able to use iPhones but only after buying them overseas and unlocking them from the networks they were intended - with mixed results. MTN users have had a more seamless experience, whereas those using Vodacom have reported dropped or missed calls and difficulty latching onto Vodacom’s network. These devices have also had no warranties.
Apple is known for attracting high amounts of hype before a product announcement - as was the case with the original iPhone announcement last January at the annual MacWorld conference, where the equally hyped MacBook Air was announced this year - but the iPhone 2.0 hype has reached new heights.
The legion of Apple news and gossips websites has been buzzing with reported sightings, pictures of iPhone models with a black back or a choice of three colours, speculation on the screen size and thinness and even Forbes magazine’s website has carried pictures of brown boxes outside Apple suppliers and retailers which are speculated to contain the new iPhones.
Jobs is also expected to announce the results of a previously released software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone (that will allow developers to write their own applications) and possibly updates to its line of laptops at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, which opens in San Francisco on Monday.
He is famous for saving the best announcement for last, introducing it with his now famous “one more thing”. Wired’s Cult of Mac has a clever timeline of these announcements.
Due to the time difference, most South Africans will wake up on Tuesday morning to hear the full announcement.
source
Although Apple is notoriously secretive about new product releases, the new iPhone is due to be announced by CEO Steve Jobs on June 9, in one of the worst-kept secrets in the computer industry.
Vodacom’s launch is part of the 10-country deal that 50% parent Vodafone announced last month, confirming speculation over the iPhone 2.0 announcement. At the time Vodafone would only say “later this year”.
Vodacom has not confirmed this to me, but i have it from a very reliable source who has seen the new iPhone.
Now the iPhone - which was previously only available in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France - is expected to be available in some 70 countries as Apple has expanded its deals with network operators.
Apple is also expected to reduce the pricing, hoping to make money through the revenue sharing deals it is widely thought to have struck with operators.
Vodacom is understood to be testing the 3G model which has a black, instead of silver, back and a slightly larger screen.
South Africans have been able to use iPhones but only after buying them overseas and unlocking them from the networks they were intended - with mixed results. MTN users have had a more seamless experience, whereas those using Vodacom have reported dropped or missed calls and difficulty latching onto Vodacom’s network. These devices have also had no warranties.
Apple is known for attracting high amounts of hype before a product announcement - as was the case with the original iPhone announcement last January at the annual MacWorld conference, where the equally hyped MacBook Air was announced this year - but the iPhone 2.0 hype has reached new heights.
The legion of Apple news and gossips websites has been buzzing with reported sightings, pictures of iPhone models with a black back or a choice of three colours, speculation on the screen size and thinness and even Forbes magazine’s website has carried pictures of brown boxes outside Apple suppliers and retailers which are speculated to contain the new iPhones.
Jobs is also expected to announce the results of a previously released software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone (that will allow developers to write their own applications) and possibly updates to its line of laptops at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, which opens in San Francisco on Monday.
He is famous for saving the best announcement for last, introducing it with his now famous “one more thing”. Wired’s Cult of Mac has a clever timeline of these announcements.
Due to the time difference, most South Africans will wake up on Tuesday morning to hear the full announcement.
source
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