Support Our Site
Get Better Gear!
- Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle for iPhone from Kensington, $39.99
- SigFx Energy iPhone Case Contains Smart Battery from SigFx Energy, US$69.95
- NAVIGON AG - True GPS Software for the iPhone from NAVIGON Inc., 89.99
- Tweetie 2 from atebits, $2.99
- Snood: Flawed Casual Play from Electronic Arts, US$3.99
Premier Sponsors
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
- U2
U2's latest entry is a mostly underwhelming collection of songs that does very little to sound any different from its equally pedestrian predecessor, 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind." While
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Spoon
Gimme Fiction by Spoon is a terrific album by an Austin band that I was lucky enough to catch on an Austin radio station during a Christmas visit.
- Modern Lovers
This timeless masterpiece is little known, but it has inspired almost as many bands as The Modern Lovers' own inspiration -- and only slightly better known -- The Velvet Underground & Nico.
- Bumblebeez 81
Part white rap, part alternative, part pop, and part rock, the Bumblebeez grabbed a hold of me with "Pony Ride," and didn't let go.
This group does a marvelous job of moving seamlessly be
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
News
Forbes: Sizing Up the Global iPhone Prospects
Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 3:00 PM - by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Apple’s iPhone prospects in the rest of the world depend on many factors, local laws, the willingness of the carrier to deal with Apple, and the relative popularity of Apple as a brand in that country, according to Forbes on Friday.
With France, Germany and the UK now under Apple’s belt, many are asking about what might be in store for the rest of the world.
Elizabeth Woyke wrote that one of the biggest factors is how willing the local carriers are to engage in Apple’s shared revenue model, more generous to Apple than is typical in the industry. That, in turn, suggests that Apple needs to be viewed favorably by potential local customers in order to bring the carrier around. One of those countries where the Mac is especially popular is the Netherlands. Apple also needs to size up the local laws regarding locked phones in order to provide a smooth introduction.
"If Apple is running into any impediments, it’s probably on the business side, making deals with operators," said Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. "As it looks abroad, Apple needs to do much more lengthy negotiations than its peers do."
Another approach Apple can take is to look at iTunes usage in order to gauge local enthusiasm.
Apple’s typical sales goals would also suggest China and India. D.P. Venkatesh, chief executive of mPortal, a mobile software manufacturer thinks that the potential market in India is only 25 million however. That’s because India has a per capita income less than US$1,000 and only a few percent of the population can afford an iPhone. China’s Mobile Ltd. revealed in November that it is in talks with Apple.
Mr. Venkatesh thinks that Australia, Brazil and Russia are good markets for Apple. In addition, the healthy disposable incomes in the UAE and Dubai make them attractive. Hong Kong and Singapore are considered very "gadget-savvy."
Finally, Apple has to address the technical standards. A 3G iPhone has been in the news recently, and that bodes well for Italy, Sweden, and Portugal. "World domination isn’t here yet. But Apple’s persistence and marketing muscle mean the sun may never set on the iPhone--some day soon," Ms. Woyke concluded.
Recent Headlines
- Apple TV 3.0.1 Update Fixes Missing Content Bug
- Taiwan Leak Shows Verizon UTMS/CDMA iPhone for Q3 2010
- iPhone Moves Into RadioShack
- Dictionary, Dictionary, Dictionary, And More
- The Latest App Store Games: Gravity Sling, RocketBird, Ground Effect, Checkers!
- iPhone Game Developer Sued for Collecting User’s Cell Numbers
- Apple May Be Bringing RFID to the iPhone
Post Your Comments