By LEE U-WEN
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WHEN the iPhone first came to these shores in August under an exclusive deal with SingTel, subscribers of M1 and StarHub were subsequently assured that they would be able to get their hands on the coveted device by the end of 2008.
Those plans, however, went awry last month when Apple changed its distribution schedule in Asia, choosing instead to focus its efforts on those markets where the phone has yet to be released, before coming back to Singapore again.
This has since left a big question mark hanging over exactly when SingTel's two rivals will eventually be able to offer the iPhone themselves, but both made it clear that year-end was out of the question.
But just how long are their subscribers willing to wait before they decide to take the simpler route and just get some other smartphone that's already out on the market?
It's not difficult to sense the initial thrill of owning an iPhone waning day by day. After all, it's been more than four months since the high-tech phone was launched here, and over 18 months since it made its debut in the United States - an eternity in the technology world, where the race is always on to put out new, faster and improved models of gadgets and software upgrades.
Since the iPhone's debut in Singapore, a number of rival high-tech phones have also made their mark here - most notably, the Samsung Omnia and HTC Touch HD (which, incidentally, are both offered only through StarHub), and the Samsung Z240 and Sony Ericsson K630i models, which M1 has made exclusively theirs.
The iPhone's price at SingTel still seems to be a sticking point for someone deciding whether or not to actually buy it. Ask many people today why they continue to sit on the fence and they would say it's the reluctance to fork out as much as $848 for the popular 16GB model, although it would mean paying just $25.86 a month for a subscription plan. Of course, one could get the phone for free, but that would mean taking on a pricey $192.60 per month plan for the next two years.
Perhaps SingTel could take a leaf out of the book of AT&T (the sole official wireless provider for the iPhone in the US), which recently began selling refurbished 8GB iPhones for just US$99. At that price, it's no surprise that sales are brisk since consumers know a good deal when they see one, especially during this current economic downturn.
In the US, Apple has taken the clever route by reaching out to the masses through tie-ups with major retailers. In September, Best Buy - the country's largest consumer electronics group - became the first company other than Apple's own stores and AT&T stores to sell the phone.
Last Sunday, another giant nationwide retailer - Wal-Mart - began selling the 3G model of the iPhone. This is a significant move as it provides Apple with the chance to effectively reach out to millions of people - many of whom are in the low-income bracket - who may not be familiar with the iPhone and other Mac products.
Impatient
Could a similar partnership between Apple and, say, Carrefour or NTUC Hypermart be just as successful? Such a tie-up, if ever realised, would extend Apple's reach into Singapore's heartland even more, given the size of the crowds (mostly families) thronging the outlets of those two major retailers nearly every day, with many - including yours truly - frequenting the electronics section to hunt for bargain-priced items.
The appeal to own an iPhone is definitely still there for tech-crazy Singaporeans. But we are a largely impatient bunch by nature. Making us wait too long for something would just compel us to bypass the iPhone altogether and look elsewhere for the next latest gadget to drool over.
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