After being smuggled onto Asian shores, for the past few months, Apple’s iphone is finally officially coming to four Asian countries – Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia, Singapore’s Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) and Apple told Reuters. Entering the these highly charged markets will enable Apple to surpass its sales goal of 10 million units by the end of 2008.
While Vodafone and Bharti Airtel will carry the phone in India, the world’s fastest-growing wireless market, SingTel unit Optus will offer the iPhone in Australia, and Globe Telecom will be the Philippine partner. SingTel owns more than 30 percent of Bharti Airtel and also owns a majority of Optus and Globe Telecom.
An Apple spokeswoman said the iPhone would make its debut in those countries “later this year,” and declined to comment on plans to bring the iPhone to Japan and China.
In its quarter ended March 31, the company sold 1.7 million of the devices, which combine a mobile phone, iPod media player and Web surfing; Apple’s goal is to sell 10 million iPhones by year’s end.
