Apple iPhone 3G will be late in the Middle East

Well, unless you’ve been trapped in prison lately, you should’ve heard about Apple’s new iPhone 3G. It’s twice as fast as the original and only half the price (as they claim…)

The new iPhone will run on several networks around the globe, Orange confirmed in Jordan, Vodafone in Egypt and Qtel in Qatar and it seems Zain won’t be getting any. iPhone will run on 3G networks (which we don’t also have in Jordan) alongside built-in GPS mapping, Microsoft Exchange support, desktop-class web browser, apps and Apple’s New MobileMe service. You’ll find Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 3.5 inch 480×320 pixel display, 2.0 megapixel geotagging camera, accessible SIM card and a slick new case.

The iPhone 3G will weigh 4.7 ounces and come in 8GB or 16GB sizes in black or white (16GB only). Now, here I have a question… I loved my previous iPhone and only sold it because It gave me headache and I accidently dropped it on the floor and scratched the screen. BUT! why would I need a 3G iPhone when networks in Jordan do not have that activated? The release in the US/UK in 6 days way and I can’t wait for it to come out..

Also, according to Apple, AT&T will offer it in the US for $199 for the 8GB and $299 for the 16GB (w/ 2 year contract) so I guess and according to Apple prices in the Middle East (calculating since a 350 KD macbook costs 500 in Kuwait and same in Jordan).

I think Orange’s offer is going to be for 250 JD for the 8GB and 500 JD for the 16GB (w/ 2 year contract), I hope they surprise me and release it for cheaper.

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26 Responses to “Apple iPhone 3G will be late in the Middle East”

  1. Oman Amjad Says:

    Not even the iPhone 3G in the US would make that much of a different from the old iPhone in the US itself, because AT&T’s 3G suck big time. It’s not as fast as how it should be. Furthermore, it’s not available everywhere. Y3ni I could be living in a place where AT&T’s 3G is not available, so the iPhone 3G would be no different to me than the old iPhone.

  2. Kuwait Samia-chan Says:

    hmm soon everyone will be walking with an iphone! i hope fixing it is included in the warranty ahahah

  3. Kuwait Moey Says:

    HAHAHA too ironic Amjad.
    Samia, I know it should this time.

  4. Egypt Moe Halawaty Says:

    I don’t see much of a difference anyways, other than the case. The fun of having 3G is not loading web pages faster, its in the fun stuff like video calling, “See what I see”, etc… So yeah its gonna be faster, but it doesn’t make full use of the 3G network it would be using.

    What would have happened if they just stuck a second camera in front… I mean its something I would have expected apple to do…

    And even though we have 3.75G networks in Egypt, I don’t think of the new iPhone as of much use. I’d rather get the old one of it gets cheaper :D

  5. United States Qwaider قويدر Says:

    So Moey basha, you still don’t believe my predictions for 2008?

  6. Kuwait Moey Says:

    I believed in 1 or 2, I said so.

  7. Lebanon Simon Says:

    Hello guys, if I want to buy the new iPhone 3G from where can I buy it? I live in Lebanon and I am really interested in that phone.Could it be bought from the US and make it work in here?

  8. Kuwait banoota Says:

    hi every one i heard alot of good things about the new iphone 3g but unfortunatly i heard a lot of bad things too.
    i heard that the red and white iphones won’t have a lock and that the gps will only work in the U.S so if you’re in the middle east don’t even dream of using the gps.
    i’m not sure if this is just a rumor but i read it in the internet and not everything you read in the internet is true

  9. Syria 3amer Says:

    damn man…so iPhone is not coming to Syria? this sucks…

  10. Jordan mohammad Says:

    i just would like to know if i can buy it on the net in the same price in the usa i think it will be much better

  11. Kuwait Mesh Says:

    GPS has nothing to do with country it depends on satellite not on cellphone services, though i live in kuwait now (working) seems am gonna get iphone 3g from amman-orange , i wonder why apple didnt make a deal with ZAIN insted of orange , this will be good as there are zain in many arab countries , if no , i’ll have to get orange sim , (b3een allah) , and make ir roaming , i’ll use it for apps and browssing , and e-books reading , & i’ll keep my E90 as my prime phone (its bussiness wise ) and the iphone for fun!

  12. Kuwait Kaja Says:

    Hi, Iphone 3G i am using in kuwait…. really its good and cute also.

    Kaja

  13. Kuwait Mesh Says:

    i ment about using the iphone 3g legally without having the headach of cracking/jailbreaking when ever a new firmware is available & installed

  14. Europe sanwal Says:

    hi dear kaja & mesh,

    i also live in kuwait, can u tell me about the service of iphone, i also like very much iphone, but i dont want net connection cause i have net on my desktop in the office.

    i only want like simple fone calls with my wataniya sim card and for fun.

    please replyy…

    waiting…

    thanxxX

  15. Kuwait Mesh Says:

    hello sanwal,

    the thing about iphone ( first gen i mean) is that it was locked from apple in a way that it works only on at&t sim cards , with the need of activation on itunes so u’ll be able to use the full features of iphone , this is i far as i read .

    with the second generation of iphone ( iphone 3g ) apple decided to expand the region of iphone 3g ( but not to fully make it available to any cell company ) , apple ( as i guess ) will make deal with other celluler providers as AT&T , in the arab countries so far , the made deals with companies in jordan , egypt and qatar.

    i was saying that i hope it will be release in kuwait by zain or wataneyye ( i prefcer zain because it has many branches ) , so that we’ll have no headach when buying an iphone to crack/jailbreak it .

    in the first generation of iphone , u hade to unlock/crack/jail break ( what ever u wanna call it but its illegal ) the iphone each time an update is available and installed on iphone in order to use it again, now apple claimed that they were able to detect any cracked phone upon update and lock it permenantly , wheather its true or not , you dont want to lose your phone for ever do you ?

    so i recommend waiting for officially release iphone in kuwait

  16. Kuwait Lulu Says:

    Hi does anyone know when the iphone is released in kuwait?

  17. Kuwait sfsa78 Says:

    it will probably be released in iraq or iran before we get it here in kuwait… we’re useless at these sort of things… by the way.. rmember that they havent got it in dubai/uae either.. lets just wait for kuwait to be announced at same time with dubai.

  18. Kuwait sfsa78 Says:

    by the way.. there is now an itunes kuwait which is mainly for iphone apps.. i registerred with nbk visa.. it worked.. go to itunes then check out the regions. :)

  19. Egypt Bassel Says:

    There is one little problem regarding the introduction of iPhone 3g into the Egyptian market through a legitimate channel such as being subsidized by Mobinil or Vodafone; it is GPS.

    Owning a GPS device is illegal in Egypt. The N95 has been banned from entering Egypt. It has of course been smuggled and sold on the black market, but in no way been sold through any official outlet.

    That is why I believe apple do still have a long way negotiationg with the Egyptian ministry of communications before the iPhone can be released through mobile carriers.

    Untill then, if and when an unlocking trick comes out, iPhone 3g will be sold illegally on the black market as well.

  20. Kuwait Moey Says:

    Bassel, I think they can take that software off, Apple customizes software now and I think the one for egypt will be customized.

  21. Egypt Bassel Says:

    Moey, your point is definitely plausible, and i think they might have already customized some of the apps in packages they sold outside the US.

    However…

    I am predicting that the iPhone 3G, if and when released in Egypt, will cost much higher than it’s subsidized US counterpart. The only reason I would get it from Egypt, though, is the warranty. And if GPS app is not on it (GPS hardware will have to still be there), I will one way or another jailbreak the thing and add a GPS app, or install the US OS2 and unlock the device, which will void the warranty any way!

    Bottom line, if they remove GPS app, which is a MAJOR update from the original iPhone, I would say everyone wait for an unlock and get your iPhones from the US, cheaper and fully functional!

  22. Kuwait Moey Says:

    Bassel, check the update in here

    http://www.moeys.net/2008/07/28/egypt-will-not-not-have-the-iphone-released/

  23. Saudi Arabia martin Says:

    is iphone 3g going to be available
    here in saudi?..

  24. United States ali Says:

    hi i’m from kuwait but now im in u.s.a i can buy iphone 3G and programm it in kuwait then it will works butt only on [Zain] sim card in the [ rehab mall ] there are a shop in the bottom flour he can programm it if u went to [ rehab mall] ask anyone the workers where is the shop who have iphone and he will tell u ok

  25. Bahrain ali Says:

    hi, i live in bahrain and im wondering that will it come to bahrain, because everyone is forgeting about smallest country in the middle east

  26. Great Britain (UK) harriet Says:

    if i bought a iphone 3g in england and unlock it, and take it to egypt…will it work in egypt? i have been told by many people that it will not work.. but i am now confused it if will do so, as it will be cheaper to buy in england!

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