Remember the ZiPhone unlocking tools that performed some fancy-schmancy magic voodoo to unlock the original iPhone so that you could use it down here in Australia? Well, the guy behind that is now hard at work on the iPhone SDK beta 7, working out a way to unlock your iPhone 3G so you won’t have to actually pay for those applications through the App Store.
While he was tinkering, he discovered something very interesting: A list of networks around the world that will support the iPhone 3G. And as per the recent reports we’ve been hearing, Telstra’s there. Unlike those same recent reports, 3 is not.
Of course this is a list that’s currently in the iPhone SDK’s 7th Beta, so it’s far from a definitive list of carriers. But with Telstra there, it’s hard to imagine that they won’t make an announcement soon. Even though there are reports that they dropped the ball when it comes to BigPond content on the device, a conversation I had with a Telstra rep the other day painted a slightly different picture: “There’s still a lot of time between now and July 11″.
[ZiPhone Status Blog - Thanks Adrian!]
XD
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 12:03 PMHutchison HK owns Three. So they might strike a deal later. Furthermore, Three roams on Telstra’s 2G network.
Sal
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 12:04 PMI talked to someone connected to 3 the other day. Apparently an email is doing the rounds instructing staff NOT to bad mouth the iPhone, but to actively acknowledge is features etc etc.
Also mentioned that one of the area officers had been playing with the phone at the Hutchison HO. Why would a local australian area officer be going to HK to use an iPhone?
tbonez
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 2:50 PMTelstra WILL NOT dillute it’s lucrative Bigpond Music sales and promote the competition (iTunes) Just to sell the iPhone 3G.
Don’t get me wrong, I will be the first guy at my local optus store lined up and waiting on July 11, but telstra can’t afford to give away business that they have spent the last few years trying to build….
fisk
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 7:21 PMI spoke to a 3 employee today and he likened the whole situation to that with them and the Nokia N95. Which apparently took them 8 months to bring to their network as they waited to see if the firmware was stable with their services (!?). So basically he said if their tests go well after the release date then they’ll probably release the iPhone (apparently).
Mike
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 9:46 PMTbonez, Telstra’s music business accounts for $#$@ all of their business. I doubt they’d say no to the iPhone to protect a market trailing business channel
dan
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 10:15 PMwell how about TELSTRA loosing customers for not having the iphone, i don’t know what is worst… i know there will be a lot of people considering changing carriers because of that…
I’m one of them, if no iphone on 3, i’ll be going to ether vodafone or optus… i guess telstra and 3 will have to reconsider their plans…
When i first called 3 about the iphone on the 9th of june, they told me they didn’t have any plans to release the iphone in australia, but yesterday i’ve called again and their story changed, the sales rep told me they will have the iphone but they can’t tell me any more details… and a press release will come in the next week or so announcing the plans for it.
I’m guessing it won’t be on the 11th as i believe Apple would like to protect the carriers that signed a contract with them early, but i believe soon everyone will have the iphone, with telstra music or not. i believe is better for them to loose a couple of song sales than loose the entire customer…
Richard
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 12:55 AMI’ve heard from two Telstra sources that it will definitely be handling the iphone but not immediately: one said an internal email had gone out to some techies to that effect; another said the plans for the phone he had heard only spoke of it being retailed to their large business accounts. I suspect the marketing tsunami and public demand may make them rethink their position.
rabeeh alami
Friday, August 29, 2008 at 7:26 AMthat’s great