It had to happen eventually – unlocked phones are sneaking into the grey market of Asia, whether Apple likes it or not. There have already been sightings in Malaysia, with stores blatantly advertising the availability of unlocked iPhones. Not something that will please Apple because Malaysia is not one of the 70 countries listed as officially carrying the iPhone.

But official or not, it’s pretty much a sure thing that the iPhone will come to markets that Apple has shut out of the official list. Besides Malaysia, Thailand will also not see official iPhones tied to local telcos. Earlier, China didn’t have official status either – something that changed with the coming of the new iPhone 3G. Earlier, China had over 1 million ‘illegal’ iPhones in the country. But with a huge potential market, Apple probably decided it made more sense to bring in the iPhone to China themselves and make a profit. Even if hundreds of iPhones will be sold on the gray market there anyway. Let’s not forget the iPhone ‘clones’ that already litter shops in China and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Is Apple purposely ignoring the gray market? If Apple does nothing about the illegal bulk buying, there’s a big chance the Apple ‘sold-out’ fiasco will repeat itself. Logically, it makes no sense that the iPhone could not be had for love or money when Bangkok’s shopping malls have them in stock and in plain view. Singapore has a deal with Apple, so it’s a lot harder to get an unlocked or ‘cracked’ phone in that country. But impatient SIngaporeans can just hop over the border to either Thailand or Malaysia where cracked iPhones are aplenty, and at decent prices (Singapore’s dollar is stronger by far than either of its two neighbours’ currencies).

Perhaps this is something that Apple is working to its own advantage – an artificial shortage in the United States could only add to the veneer of ‘must-have’ exclusivity.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, July 31st, 2008 at 6:58 pm under iPhone.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Erna Mahyuni.