SingTel to bring iPhone 3G here

Singapore - Following Steve Job's unveiling of the iPhone 3G at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the company has jointly announced with SingTel that they will bring the product to Singapore later this year.

The product is expected to be a cheaper and more powerful replacement of the iPhone and according to Jobs, who was speaking at the Conference, Apple will charge US$199 for the iPhone 3G in the US.

SingTel would not provide a date for the release or give pricing for the new iPhone.

M1's CEO Neil Montefiore, who tuned in to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, agreed with the new pricing but remained unsure of how successful the 3G product would fare when it was released here later this year.

"It's a lovely user interface and there will be people who want it but its not really going to drive the mobile operator's revenue because the access speed is probably too slow," he said.

However, Shawn Chung, editor-in-chief of T3, said consumers would soon realise that the iPhone is not just a 'phone'.

"It's main appeal is that it is a real convergence device with powerful computing and entertainment features, backed by thousands of readily accessible software applications to match exactly what you want in a mobile device - for work, study or play," he said.

In a statement, SingTel's EVP of consumer, Quek Peck Leng said there is strong synergy between the core brand values of Apple and SingTel, such as innovation and reliability.

"Customers can enjoy a superior experience with their new iPhone 3G, such as internet access on the move, fully supported by SingTel's high quality 3G network coverage and new range of services which we will be launching over the next twelve months," Quek said.