TAG | 3 Mobile Australia begs Apple for iPhone 3G |
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| by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Thursday, 26 June 2008 | |
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Cleverly characterising it as an action by “customers” who wish to “send Apple their iPhone message”, rather than a heartfelt plea from 3 Mobile itself, Three’s media release explains that it is being iBeseiged with iRequests for the iPhone. Ok, ok so they didn’t say “iBeseiged or iRequests”. iMade that bit up for a bit of iPhun. But 3 Mobile does say that “Following a flood of requests from consumers looking to get the 3G iPhone on 3, 3 has unveiled a new website going live tomorrow (Friday 27 June), which is encouraging people to post their request for the powers that be at Apple to see.” Noel Hamill, Director Sales, Marketing & Product at 3, no relation to Star Wars actor Mark Hamill of Luke Skywalker fame, explained that: “Ever since Apple’s announcement that a 3G iPhone is coming, we’ve had lots of calls and emails – the main flavour is people wanting to get the value that 3 offers with the iPhone.” Hamill then disclosed that 3 Mobile had been in deep negotiations with Apple to also start selling the iPhone, but had clearly had no success by admitting that: “While we’ve been engaging with Apple to secure the iPhone for 3, we don’t know whether we can range it.” This obviously raises the immediate question of why Three Mobile “can’t range” the iPhone. Does Apple want too big a cut? Has Apple promised Optus and Vodafone it would lock Three Mobile out? Does Apple want to avoid consumers who travel outside of 3 Mobile’s broadband zones from getting data based bill shock due to Three Mobile’s $1.65 per megabyte data roaming cost arrangements with Telstra’s EDGE network ? Or is there another reason or series of reasons? Sadly 3 Mobile has not disclosed any of this and simply states:”We want Apple to see just how much our customers want the iPhone.” In addition, 3 Mobile makes it clear they won’t be offering the iPhone from July 11, as Optus and Vodafone plan to. But is all of this a ploy to cause potential Optus and Vodafone customers to wait before churning away from 3 Mobile? Please read on to page 2! |
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