The short answer to Why Slovenia won’t get iPhone anytime soon is that it wouldn’t make sense.
When Apple failed to bring iPhone 3G to Slovenia earlier this year, a thousand fanboy voices cried in frustration. Yet when analyzing the ecosystem around iPhone, it makes complete sense.
iPhone is not just a fancy smart phone. It’s also a way to:
- buy ITunes music store
- figure out where you are (Google Maps)
- Get the best localized experience333
This means that when bringing iPhone 3G to Slovenia, Apple would have to not only localize the iPhone itself, but also introduce iTunes music store, make sure Google Maps are good enough (they aren’t precise enough yet) and localize a number of services like MobileMe that are often subscribed to by users to provide even better iPhone/Mac integration.
There’s also a neat trick that Apple does in other countries for iPhone subscribers – free WiFi hotspots/cloud access for iPhone. This greatly increases experience as you’re not limited to the spotty 3G coverage if you’re in correct urban areas. Slovenia has only one true WiFi cloud that’s well known enough – Neo Wlan, operated by the Telekom group.
Without all these domino pieces falling together, it’s hard to believe Apple would want to enter Slovenian market with iPhone and deliver worse experience than in other countries. Above facts also mean that just buying an unlocked iPhone will not provide you with the true spirit of iPhone experience.
[There’s always a chance I’m just bitter that I don’t have one] 😉
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It would be cool if Apple was really that worried about the experience, but does Croatia have those conditions fulfilled? What about Botswana? I think it’s simply a matter of negotiatio s with carrier and not giving a f*** for a 2 mio. market.
Well you can say hardly this being true, becuase for african countries such as Mali 🙂 there will be iPhones 😉
Actually, one can buy from iTunes music store in Slovania now…
@Žiga – eh? I only see apps.
@Jure – I don’t buy the localisation argument. Apple has the resources for that. iTunes store is a biggie though.
nice article! nice site. you're in my rss feed now 😉
keep it up
Well there’s loads more hotspots and free wi-fi in Slovenia then there are in the UK, for one thing
Google maps is perfectly ok.
So I join in in saying – it’s too small a market – and a not too easy sell to the providers.
But then since living in the UK I have had the “pleasure” of the 3G. Not really all that great, Nokia n97 seems a better choice…