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.