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Australia has long been a victim of technology and launch delays. Games, gadgets, and other “new” technology are introduced weeks, sometimes months, after their release in the US and Europe. Apple’s iPhone launch is no exception: Australia has been given a very vague release date of “sometime in 2008”. No specific quarter was mentioned.
With a Europe-wide release scheduled for late 2007, it is surprising why Australia and Oceania have been excluded from this release period. The delay could be explained by problematic negotiations with Australian carriers and Apple. Telstra’s chief operating officer, Greg Winn, recently stated that he sees “significant operational challenges” for the iPhone and suggests that Apple should “stay true to its fabric,” meaning that Apple is not a mobile phone maker and should stick to what it does better, make computers and media players. This spells bad news for Australians with any hope of seeing the iPhone in Australia: Telstra is the only network that supports the EDGE network, the primary connection the iPhone uses for web browsing and visual voicemail.
Since Telstra isn’t that excited about the addition of the iPhone, Apple may be waiting for a 3G version of the iPhone to be developed before launching it in Australia, Asia and Oceania. Three would be a likely candidate as its network runs primarily over 3G, but reports suggest Vodafone is looking to start negotiations with Apple.
However, until its late release in 2008, there were plenty of unlocking methods available for the impatient. While unlocking the iPhone is an incredibly risky process (you’re wasting your $500 investment if you don’t know what you’re doing), it allows the most basic features to be used.