Anticipation is building up for Steve Jobs’s keynote at WWDC10 and everyone’s crazy eager to see what Jobs will unveil. Will the iPhone HD/4G be all that we hoped for? Will the much talked about forward facing camera change the way we make and use video calls on mobile phones?
A part from the improvements, how much better is the new iPhone compared to the 3GS as well as its comtemporary competitors like the HTC Desire?
All will be unveiled tonight at the WWDC10, but the biggest question playing in our minds is when will the new iPhone make it to our shores.
The two telcos currently carrying the iPhone officially here, DiGi and Maxis are certainly ready to welcome the new iPhone. Maxis have already begun offering Micro SIMs and DiGi have openly mentioned that they are looking to offer Micro SIMs soon. So how soon can we expect the new iPhone to be available here?
We look at previous iPhone launches to see if there’s a pattern emerging.
iPhone 3G
We got all ecstatic when Maxis announced that it will officially bring the iPhone 3G to Malaysia not too long ago in March 2009.
Although we were excited, Maxis took nine months to bring the iPhone 3G to Malaysia after its official international launch in July 2008.
You could say that this is expected as Maxis could’ve taken the time to sort out the deal with Apple and also its plan structure for the device.
iPhone 3GS
Barely four months after the 3G made it into the Malaysian market, Maxis announced the arrival of the iPhone 3GS in July 2009 with more attractive plans including the simple iData data add-on plans. Those who just bought the 3G back then were cursing all the way; but that’s way the cookie crumble we guess.
What’s interesting about the 3GS launch in Malaysia was the time it took Maxis to bring the phone to Malaysia after its international launch. Maxis took just one month from the international launch to bring the iPhone 3GS in.
iPhone HD/4G
So what do we think? Its possible for both Maxis and DiGi to launch the new iPhone together but Apple has been one to adopt a model where one telco is allowed to launch a new iPhone ahead of the others in a particullar country. It happened in Singapore with the 3G where Singtel got first dibs ahead of the rest and it happened here. So we’re betting that it will be the same when the iPhone HD/4G makes it to Malaysia.
If you’re in the market for a new phone we highly recommend you hold your purchase for another month or two because judging from the previous launches, the iPhone HD/4G could be here as early as July.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
