Here it is, the moment we have all been waiting for ever since Steve Jobs announced that there will be a 3G iPhone in 2008, and they are calling it iPhone 3G. The rumor sites pretty much got everything on the dot this time by predicting 3G, GPS and a 50% price drop over the previous model.
As previously reported, Globe Telecom will be bringing iPhone 3G over our shores here in the Philippines. Apple’s iPhone Philippines page does not detail anything specific. Availability, pricing and plans are still up in the air. I hope Globe releases this information as soon as they can so we can prepare our wallets.
Speculations abound as to what kind of arrangement Globe has for iPhone 3G. Will it have Visual Voicemail? If you are a Globe subscriber right now, you couldn’t even use the regular voicemail as they shut it down in favor of Voice Txt or whatever they call it. Bigger question is what kind of rate plans will iPhone be offered in. Globe already offers specialized plans for Blackberry users, will we see the same for iPhone? We are very much used to pay-as-you-go and Globe has already confirmed that they will also offer iPhone on prepaid and will most likely be unsubsidized.
Data is another thing as iPhone 3G can take advantage of Globe’s HSDPA network. Unless they are really greedy, there is no possible way that Globe will insist on its current data scheme–P5/15 mins or P0.15/KB, because of all the Push stuff that will be happening. Looking at their Visibility plan, the most expensive at P1499/month only has 100 hours of internet use. With iPhone, you can use up all that in a week! Although not in their official website, some blogs are saying that they are still offering unlimited Visibility plans at P3000/month. I cannot imagine paying that much on top of the regular voice plan. An ideal price for me will be P1000/month on top of regular voice, maybe even up to P1500 if their HSDPA coverage is pretty much everywhere I need to go.
Whatever happens, for sure this Apple zealot is going to get an iPhone 3G. I absolutely love my iPhone and the only time I feel that I want to throw it against a brick wall is when I’m surfing in Safari over EDGE. Luckily, that problem has been solved in this new release and I can only imagine what great (or not-so-great) things we can do with having the internet on our pockets everywhere and actually use it.
5 Responses for "On iPhone’s Second Coming, the Philippines Will Be Saved"
It took iPhone 3G for you to update this blog?!
I only wish for unlimited data. That’s the only way for MobileMe to work as intended. Then we can get all smug with our spankin new, snarky @me.com email addresses. Cue.evil.laugh. mwahaha
Haha, yes and the next update will probably be on the next Apple event which, I don’t know, maybe September?
Anyway, yeah, I’m also psyched about the me.com address.
My only wish is for the iPhone to be unlockable so I can still get to use it here in Jakarta
and Smart when I go back home to the Philippines. I’m not a Globe person hahaha.
I’m sure it will still be unlockable. And Globe has already come out and said that there will offer it on prepaid so I’m assuming you won’t have to sign any contract for that.
Yeah, I used to be on Smart before and I regret switching to Globe now, their EDGE/GPRS is crippled and janky.
SingTel has a stake on Telkomsel, right? I wonder why they aren’t a part of this same deal.
And oh just because you guys are the first two person to comment on the new blog, you get the top two link spot on my sidebar. Haha, like it matters.
It matters
because I like you (for being an Apple fanboy of course =P)! Hahaha. This guy in Twitter who followed me turned out to be one of MacWorld Indonesia’s editors so I followed him back and he was hella pissed knowing that Telkomsel was gonna get the iPhone deal so maybe his say had an impact? I don’t understand why actually, Telkomsel is the leading carrier here in Indonesia (I used to be a loyal subscriber but I recently switched). Maybe Apple and Telkomsel are still negotiating?
What I just hope for is that when the iPhone eventually comes to Indonesia sans deal and all, I hope they don’t sell unlocked 8GBs for more than $250. *crosses fingers*
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