Despite the iPhone being set for launch in 49 more countries including Honduras and Guinea-Bissau, China and Russia -- home to almost half the world's mobile users -- are not on the list.
Operators in those countries have proved reluctant to hand over part of their iPhone-related revenues to Apple -- a model Apple succeeded in imposing in early deals it made with carriers in other countries, who got exclusive sales rights in return.
"Right or wrong, Apple needs to show good sales volumes. Russia is extremely profitable for it, all the more so because an iPhone shipped from the U.S. market is not serviced under warranty. That saves Apple around $70 per unit," says analyst Eldar Murtazin at Mobile Research Group in Moscow.
Others say Apple is losing out."
"The total number of iPhones brought into Russia in suitcases or sent by courier is seen rising to 600,000-700,000 units by the end of 2008 from 400,000 by the end of June -- a significant number in the context of worldwide iPhone sales."
"Russia's top three mobile operators -- Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Vimpelcom and MegaFon -- have not disclosed any substantive talks with the iPhone maker."
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