To be more specific, where the iPhone “officially” isn’t. Although you will find numerous unauthorized unlocked iPhones in China and Russia, the maker of the hot 3G device hasn’t officially locked up agreements with operators there yet, according to a report in Reuters.
Sure, Apple has agreements with some 49 other countries to sell its iconic device. However, China and Russia are not on that list. Part of the problem reportedly is the operators in those countries haven’t been willing to share their revenues with Apple. In other deals, Apple was able to negotiate revenue sharing in exchange for exclusivity. Now that the iPhone is working on its second wave of devices, Apple seems more willing to have presence over revenue sharing.
However, analysts expect it only a matter of time before Apple strikes deals in China and Russia. Both countries represent such a huge growth potential that it would not make business sense to ignore those markets.
In its first three days on the market in the United States, the iPhone 3G reportedly sold 1 million units.
