Comments on: The iPhones of Equatorial Guinea

By: Graham Toal, Edinburg TX

Graham Toal, Edinburg TX — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:19:16 +0000

Does it strike anyone as odd that 'rogue dealers' can actually get their hands on something like 25% of Apple's total production? Surely this has to be going on with tacit approval from apple. They know the serial numbers of the units that are activated on supported networks, so they could easily look for patterns among the ones that are not yet activated and determine which dealers have a normal percentage of unactivated stock and which ones have a huge percentage of unactivated stock because they're selling them abroad.

Either Apple knows where these sales are destined when they sell them, or they're deliberately not looking too hard to work it out after the fact. (Remarkably like the international trade in arms, actually!)

By: Rishi, Mumbai, India

Rishi, Mumbai, India — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:24:24 +0000

Well, iphones will sell like hot cakes in India if available. Currently the $400 iphone is being sold here for $600. If Apple could sell it for $500, they would make a killing. The concept of phones locked to networks is not accepted here, unless the handset cost is subsidised.

By: Bill, Seattle WA.

Bill, Seattle WA. — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:00:32 +0000

Fascinating. One wonders, in this era of low airline fares and low value of the dollar, how many of the iPhones that are being purchased in the U.S. are headed to places where Apple is selling phones at a higher foreign cost than the discounted cost they may be purchased at in the US. It may be pretty substantial based upon these statistics.

By: Danny, Washington DC

Danny, Washington DC — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:12:50 +0000

Bolivia, a third-world country is not listed. (adding the list: South Korea, Lithuania, Taiwan, Malta, Iran and Bolivia)

By: William Boston MA

William Boston MA — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:11:16 +0000

Also how many of those in Eq. Guinea are being used by US oil workers or other expats

By: Marc, Paris, France

Marc, Paris, France — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:15:35 +0000

For your information : You can cross Iran from your list. There are plenty of iPhones in Iran which run perfectly well on its GSM (2G) network.

By: Barry, Reading, PA

Barry, Reading, PA — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:23:36 +0000

Isn't Equatorial Guines a country where the ruler is some form of deity or at least a direct agent of God? Does Steve Jobs have to die before he is beatified there?

By: Bob Lagos, Nigeria

Bob Lagos, Nigeria — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:13:37 +0000

This is very interesting. I am a US worker currently living in W. Africa (Nigeria). I've definitely seen Iphones working here. However, the takeaway US computer MFRs need to get is that there is a market for their products. The key is not making new technologies, but making existing ones affordable. Cell phone & Smart phone growth has been explosive because you can buy a basic cell phone for $30 and it costs about <15 cent/min for prepaid. In a place where a 768 kbps ADSL line costs ~$400usd /mo, the future belongs to guy who makes a simple device you can use as your primary communication, internet & entertainment device.

By: bruce patras nyc ny

bruce patras nyc ny — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:47:32 +0000

print out this article w/ comments .

pin it up ..

wait 5 yrs .

how will the bashers spin it . when its really rocking. it is already the gold standard of phones .

apple owns all the patents ..

peace

lostplay

By: Lisa, Atlanta, GA

Lisa, Atlanta, GA — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:10:18 +0000

Why so hot in these other countries? One reason is that in many countries outside the US, it is NOT common to have a home desktop or laptop computer. They access the net on their phones -this is as true in Japan as in a third-world place. So the iPhone is a near ideal solution when you already expect the phone to be the internet. Americans look at internet on the phone and wonder why anyone would do that when they have a perfectly good computer at home or work, and THAT is entirely the point. No PC? No prob. Here's the internet on your phone. Done.