SAN FRANCISCO / SINGAPORE - Apple Inc. has signed deals to
bring the iPhone to four Asian countries later this year, which should help the
company surpass its sales goal of 10 million units by the end of 2008.
Agreements with Singapore’s Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.
(and three of its affiliates will bring the iPhone to Singapore, India, the
Philippines and Australia, SingTel and Apple said.
Bharti Airtel Ltd, India’s top mobile operator, will carry
the iPhone in the world’s fastest-growing wireless market, which already has
more than 260 million mobile users. SingTel owns more than 30 percent of Bharti
Airtel.
SingTel unit Optus will offer the iPhone in Australia, and
Globe Telecom will be the Philippine partner. SingTel and domestic conglomerate
Ayala Corp. own 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. — Reuters
