The largest operator in the Taiwan region, Chunghwa Telecom, has finally given us a date when they will be releasing the iPhone 3G in Taiwan. Looks like those who have had to wait for so long will finally get their hands on the iPhone 3G in less than two weeks.
The company said it would sell iPhones exclusively for an unspecified period, with a two-year service contract carrying a minimal month fee of NT$1,049 (about US$ 31). To get a free iPhone with 8GB memory space, people will have to sign a two-year contract with a monthly charge of NT$2,549 (about US$ 76). Or they can buy the phone from Chunghwa Telecom for at least NT$26,600 (about US$ 800) and get a prepaid number.
December 13th is the day that Taiwan residents will be able to pick one up, legally anyway. Chunghwa is also talking with HTC to bring the T-Mobile G1 to Taiwan. Chunghwa is currently offering pre-sales of the iPhone 3G that will run until December 10th. By targeting the holiday season, Chunghwa plans to sell 50,000 units by March of 2009.
[Via SlashPhone]
CHUNGHWA CRIPPLES iPhone
I live in Taiwan and I have waited for a long time to get an iphone. In spite of this release I will still wait in want. There are several reasons for this. Most simple boil down to price gouging. The rate packages, though not high by American standards, are incredibly high here in Taiwan. The basic plan garnering you 90 minutes of talk time, 200 text messages and unlimited internet is NT$1049 (US$31.33). With out the internet the customer would normally pay NT289 (US$8.31). Thus the unlimited internet costs NT$760 (US$22.70). There are four service planes ranging from the above up to NT$2549 (US$76.13). That plans gives you unlimited internet, 200 text messages and roughly 740 minutes of talk time. (I have never seen a plan that gives the user anything for free. Furthermore, the minutes you have to use is simply a your subscription fee divided by the cost per minute of usage.)
On to the cost of the phone. At the basic level the 8gb phone is NT$11900 (US$355.42) and the 16gb phone is NT$15200 (US$453.98). At the highest rate the phones are $0 and NT$2990 (US$89.30). The first price is not so good but if the buyer opts for the more expensive plan he or she is rewarded with a better price on the phone. For the average Taiwanese that rate plan is above and beyond reasonable. Those in the big cities with higher incomes, middle management, or, surprisingly, teachers -they get paid well here- could swing it because it is the iphone, a new Nokia would not have a shot. I, as a foreign teacher who for that fact gets paid more than the Taiwanese around me would drop; my current contract to switch companies to have the iphone. But, it is at this point that Chunghwa telecom cripples the iphone. They require every subscriber to prepay a set amount, for their service, that is dependent on the level of service you subscribed for. This is not unheard of in Taiwan but it is generally less than half of what you pay, after discount, for the phone. The rates that Chunghwa has set on the iPhone are ridiculous. At the NT$1049 (US$31.33) rate plan the buyer must pre-pay NT$11000 (US$328.68). This is in addition to the NT$11900 (US$355.42) or NT$15200 (US$453.98) paid for the 8gb or 16gb phones themselves, respectively. Therefore to walk out of their store with an 8gb iPhone the consumer must pay NT$22900 (US$684.20) or NT$26200 (US$782.66) for the 16gb version. At the highest rate plan the company requires NT$24000 (US$717.06) ad that to the phone and those who want the 16gb phone are paying NT$26990 (US$806.39). WOW! All that in one day!. Sure, its an iPhone, and there is no phone bill to pay for about 9 months. For most of the Taiwanese I know that all plus some of their salary for one month! I do not live in the big city, where everything is more expensive, rent for a house similar to mine is double or triple what I pay which it still cheaper than the first day of owning an iphone. The 16gb phone is more expensive on day one than rent in Taipei for a decent sized apartment! That is saying something.
The pricing was designed to prevent a gray market from appearing. Little else was considered…there still will be customers.