macnn
09/05/2008, 3:55pm, EDT
Friday, September 5th
iPhone to be offered by top three Russian carriers
Russia's top cellular carrier, Mobile TeleSystems, today announced it has successfully negotiated with Apple and will soon be offering the iPhone, according to the Associated Press. This confirms speculation that Apple would be making deals with all three major Russian carriers, as the company signed deals with Vimpelcom and MegaFon earlier this week.
Despite the lack of any official distributor, the iPhone is already successful on Russia's gray market, where there could be a half million or more devices in circulation. Although white-market customers will probably be paying less than for unlocked phones, Russian prices are still expected to be higher than in many other countries, due to a lack of phone subsidization.
Final prices and release dates have not been given by MTS, but iPhones are expected to ship later this year.
Filed under: iPhone, industry, Apple
Other story tags: Russia, MTS, VimpelCom, Megafon
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Three?
Russia gets 3 carriers to choose from, US gets 1. How about some diversity Apple? A little less monopolizing of their awesome phone on a network that has horrible service where I live! Seriously, no 3G in the whole state. Sprint has a little, but Verizon has 3G everywhere I would be likely to use it.
it would help
if there were more than two carriers in the US who use GSM.
in Russia...
...cellular carrier selects YOU!
US GSM
How about T-Mobile? They do GSM. Granted, not very much 3G, but it would still be an alternative. And Apple already has agreements with them for other countries.
yeah
I love the name "Vimpelcom" - I would sign up with them just for the name.
iPutin
Am I the only one who thinks doing business with a country that is (literally) being run by the Secret Police a really scummy idea?
*Same with Google's "Do no evil" mantra... until it came time for Google China. Then it was "See no evil".
other providers
if there were more than two carriers in the US who use GSM.
Yes, because it would be impossible for Apple to create an iPhone that worked on another standard, like CDMA or something. It just isn't possible for a small company like Apple.
can't be t-mobile
T-Mo uses a frequency band for GSM/3G that is not the same as what anyone else uses in the USA< or what the iPhone supports
That will be a shock for all those unlockers who are currently using the iPhone with T-Mobile. It might stop working once they find out it can't work to begin with.
just you chotty
its no more accurate to say Russia is run by secret police, than to say the U.S. is run by secret police. We both have secret police, the u.s. also spies on its own citizens.
Goodness knows I wish we could say we were above all that, but a few years ago, we decided we want security over everything else.
Russia, is a democracy, whose people, also uncannily want security over everything else...they elected Putin, they elected Medvedev, even international observers noted the election wasn't in any doubt, independent polling confirmed that.
Anyway, you hate Russia, nothing I say will change your mind. The only real question is whether the U.S. wants to actual be on the receiving end of an export deal, and actually make money instead of giving it away.
We are going to give 1 billion to eastern pseudo-democracy, run-by-secret-police, Georgia...
Maybe this one is going to help the good ole u.s. of a.
I agree though, it would be much better if they weren't getting our iPhones and we could convince them to buy u.s. built GM cars instead. That would be win win win.