Latin America’s largest mobile carrier, America Movil SAB along with provider Vivo Participacoes SA began selling the iPhone 3G today in Brazil, giving Apple access to one of South America’s largest mobile markets with an estimated 138 million subscribers.
Joao Cox, president of America Movil’s Claro, recently told reporters, “It’s impressive how interested consumers are in the product,” adding, “It’s one more step in innovation. Demand should surpass supply in the first phase of sales.”
Sales of the iPhone 3G in Brazil will not only boost carrier revenues by increasing the demand for premium services such as faster internet speeds, but will also give Apple access to a wealth of potential customers. According to the national telecommunications regulator, the Brazilian smartphone market has seen annual increases of 25%. Vivo, for example, has seen increased revenue of 58% year over year from value-added services.
CEO of Vivo Participacoes SA, Roberto Lima, has predicted sales of 1 million iPhones in Brazil. “There is a lot of pent-up demand for the iPhone,” he told reporters yesterday. “Brazilians love technology.” The Sao Paulo-based company is the largest mobile carrier in Brazil and is hoping the device will help reduce recent market share loss. According to the regulator, the company has seen its subscriber base decrease in all but two months out of the last three years.
Prices for the device begin at 1,000 reais ($549) for the 8GB and 2,599 , a whopping $1,403 for the 16GB model with the most expensive service plan with Claro. Vivo will sell the device for 899 reais ($486) for the 8GB model, and 2,199 reais ( $1,189) for the 16GB model with the most expensive payment plan.
As always, don’t forget to check out our dynamic iPhone carrier World Map for a comprehensive overview of the iPhone’s global footprint.
[via Bloomberg]
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