UAE waits to get its hands on iPhone's touchscreen magic

Magnus · 10th May 2008, 18:26

In a no-news news article in Business 24|7, Ben Flanagan wonders if the iPhone could be close to a Middle East release? He offers up the recent announcement by Vodafone that they will launch iPhone into ten of their countries later this year, that Rogers will bring iPhone to Canada, and the increasing rumors that iPhone will be launched in other countries too, including Switzerland, Spain and Poland. So that's somewhere in the region of 15-20 countries who are either confirmed or rumored to get iPhone this year.

This means, Flanagan writes, that, "a Middle East launch cannot be far off".

And I would add that when the iPhone does make it here, it won't be a day too soon. We still deal too much with customers left without protection of warranty, service, and all the other things they should have. In that sense, Apple has done a disservice to their loyal fans here and all the others who paid good money to use their iPhone. That's one aspect that Flanagan seems to have overlooked.

Flanagan then proceeds with discussing the lack of iTunes Store in our area, and says that, "Apple's trademark arrogance means if the consumer does not like that then that is just tough." I'm not sure I understand this. For all we know, the lack of iTunes Store in our region, as much as I think it's a shame we don't have it, is not Apple's fault, at least not entirely. The record companies are obviously critical in bringing an iTunes Store here and if Apple can't agree with them it's not going to happen.

And if I have a choice between getting iPhone officially and supported but no iTunes Store, or not getting iPhone at all, then the choice is clear - I don't care about the iTunes Store in that choice. There are ways to buy content from the iTunes Store - perfectly legally - in our region, so that problem can be solved. Some of the problems with having iPhone here unofficially and unsupported, like having to hack it, are much harder if not impossible to work around.

So there's little of news value in Flanagan's piece, and it even leaves out discussing some important issues, but it's arguably a sign of more to come, as the speculation continues to grow about the iPhone finally coming to the Middle East.

fangpyre · 11th May 2008, 15:14

Vodafone's agreement has Egypt in the list.
Whether or not it will be launched in other countries is another question.

Business wise, Egypt isn't the best market, when compared to the Gulf.
But Apple may look at Vodafone as 1 entity rather than 10 regions.

As much as I hate the iPhone's lack of presence, I have to say Apple made the right choice.
They are entering each market as and when it is capable of meeting each market's requirements.
As far as Apple is concerned, if you live here and have an iPhone, then they aren't responsible for it.

As for iTunes, I agree with Magnus.
I think the labels have a big role in that (I doubt all of it, though).
And we don't really need it.
It would be great to tap into that feature, but we can use DVDs and CDs.

10th May 2008, 18:26	#1 (permalink)
Magnus Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Dubai Posts: 7,518	UAE waits to get its hands on iPhone's touchscreen magic In a no-news news article in Business 24\|7, Ben Flanagan wonders if the iPhone could be close to a Middle East release? He offers up the recent announcement by Vodafone that they will launch iPhone into ten of their countries later this year, that Rogers will bring iPhone to Canada, and the increasing rumors that iPhone will be launched in other countries too, including Switzerland, Spain and Poland. So that's somewhere in the region of 15-20 countries who are either confirmed or rumored to get iPhone this year. This means, Flanagan writes, that, "a Middle East launch cannot be far off". And I would add that when the iPhone does make it here, it won't be a day too soon. We still deal too much with customers left without protection of warranty, service, and all the other things they should have. In that sense, Apple has done a disservice to their loyal fans here and all the others who paid good money to use their iPhone. That's one aspect that Flanagan seems to have overlooked. Flanagan then proceeds with discussing the lack of iTunes Store in our area, and says that, "Apple's trademark arrogance means if the consumer does not like that then that is just tough." I'm not sure I understand this. For all we know, the lack of iTunes Store in our region, as much as I think it's a shame we don't have it, is not Apple's fault, at least not entirely. The record companies are obviously critical in bringing an iTunes Store here and if Apple can't agree with them it's not going to happen. And if I have a choice between getting iPhone officially and supported but no iTunes Store, or not getting iPhone at all, then the choice is clear - I don't care about the iTunes Store in that choice. There are ways to buy content from the iTunes Store - perfectly legally - in our region, so that problem can be solved. Some of the problems with having iPhone here unofficially and unsupported, like having to hack it, are much harder if not impossible to work around. So there's little of news value in Flanagan's piece, and it even leaves out discussing some important issues, but it's arguably a sign of more to come, as the speculation continues to grow about the iPhone finally coming to the Middle East.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

11th May 2008, 15:14	#2 (permalink)
fangpyre Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Dubai Posts: 960	Vodafone's agreement has Egypt in the list. Whether or not it will be launched in other countries is another question. Business wise, Egypt isn't the best market, when compared to the Gulf. But Apple may look at Vodafone as 1 entity rather than 10 regions. As much as I hate the iPhone's lack of presence, I have to say Apple made the right choice. They are entering each market as and when it is capable of meeting each market's requirements. As far as Apple is concerned, if you live here and have an iPhone, then they aren't responsible for it. As for iTunes, I agree with Magnus. I think the labels have a big role in that (I doubt all of it, though). And we don't really need it. It would be great to tap into that feature, but we can use DVDs and CDs.