刚才看商业周刊英文版，看到一篇关于iPhone可能与
新加坡电信合作的报道。两年前去新加坡，感觉新加坡电信在当地还是非常强势的运营商，再google一下，说它是东南亚最大、亚洲第二大电信运营商。不过，新加坡另外还有几家运营商，似乎与它实力相去不远，前阵子说三家都争夺iPhone在新加坡的独家销售权。
无论是苹果公司还是当地运营商，均无人置评。据传，新加坡电信将于今年9月在新加坡官方销售iPhone手机.售价将为690新币，约合496美元（也就是3450元RMB）。
虽然苹果已经瞄准今年销售1000万部iPhone手机,但与亚洲运营商的谈判却一直没有取得进展。如果新加坡亚洲新闻电视台的报道属实，对新加坡电信来说是积极的。因为iPhone手机对消费者有很大吸引力，可提高该公司的市场占有率和品牌效应。
自从去年6月上市以来,解锁版的iPhone手机已经在新加坡销售了1万部，有些价格高达每部1000新元(约合726美元)。——中国市场上的解锁八鳳hone为40万部，真是差好远！！！看来，新加坡人真挺守规矩的。
另外，如果报道是真实的，新加坡电信也将成为首家正式发布iPhone手机的亚洲运营商。今年1月中国移动结束了与苹果的谈判；苹果也与其他亚洲运营商如日本的NTTDoCoMo举行过谈判。但有人指出，即使本地电信公司与苹果公司达成交易，iPhone也不会很快来到新加坡。这是因为新加坡是个3G市场，但iPhone目前还没有3G功能。iPhone来到新加坡尚需一些时日，起码要三个月以后。
原文如下：
March 21, 2008
SingTel to Offer iPhone in Singapore?Neither Apple nor the local operator will comment, but theword is the handsets are finally coming. Whether they'll be 3Gequipped is still a question
by Victoria HoAccording to a Channel NewsAsia report online, SingTelmay have won the rights to distributing Apple's iPhone inSingapore, and may launch it officially in September.The report quotes sources as saying SingTel has "more or lesssealed the deal", and that retailers expect the device to be pricedat around S$690 (US$496) when it launches.Both SingTel and Apple declined to comment whencontacted.SingTel's Group CEO Chua Sock Khoong previously confirmedSingTel was in talks with Apple, and expressed confidence inwinning exclusive rights to distributing the iPhone.Since the iPhone's launch last year, an estimated 10,000 setshave been bought and had their software cracked to be used inSingapore, according to reports online.The iPhone has also drawn criticism for its lack of 3Gfunctionality. Users in the United States on AT&T'sEDGE network--regarded colloquially as "2.5G", as EDGE deliversfaster speeds than GPRS but is slower than 3G--have complainedabout slow surfing speeds; should the device launch in Singaporewithout 3G, users will have to use the even slower GPRS network formobile surfing.Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak too, reportedly expresseddisappointment at the device's lack of 3G functionality.As such, it has been speculated that the iPhone model arrivingin Singapore has to be 3G-enabled for it to gain traction. But ananalyst doesn't see it as a necessary cog in the wheel.Aloysius Choong, IDC senior analyst for personal systems, toldZDNet Asia in an interview that user studies have shown consumersare more interested in attributes such as design andbranding."The consumer emphasis on having 3G isn't very high...it isprobably more to the operator's benefit than the consumers," saidChoong, elaborating that the local operator interest would lie indata revenues.Should the non-3G enabled model arrive, it may affect thesubsidy plan on the handsets offered by the operators, Choongadded.Moreover, SingTel's ultimate mobile interest is in driving useof its HSDPA networks, he said."You could argue that [the iPhone] may help that cause by'conditioning' users to use the Internet on their mobiles," Choongnoted.
