iPhone 4 hitting 17 more countries on Friday
The newest flavor of Apple's smartphone will arrive in additional markets July 30, including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Singapore--but not South Korea.
The iPhone 4 is expanding its reach to 17 more countries this Friday.
Starting July 30, consumers will be able to buy the new model in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The iPhone 4 will sell through Apple's retail and online stores as well as authorized resellers.
One country not on the list of recipients is South Korea. Initially slated to receive the iPhone 4 at the same time as the others, South Korea was dropped from the July 30 rollout reportedly over regulatory issues. At the July 16 press conference on the iPhone's antenna reception issues, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said it would take a little longer to get South Korean government approval for the new phone.
However, that explanation has apparently upset government officials and the South Korean news media, which claim that Jobs misstated the reason behind the delay, according to The Wall Street Journal. One regulator said that neither Apple nor KT, the iPhone's South Korean carrer, have yet submitted the new phone for approval.
In the meantime, Apple said that the white version of the iPhone 4 would be delayed until later this year explaining that the handset has proven more challenging to make than originally expected.
The iPhone 4 is currently being sold in France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. at a price of $199 for the 16GB edition and $299 for the 32GB model. Apple plans to bring the phone to yet more countries later this year.