Saudi Arabia - 25,000 iPhone Subscribers within hours of launch
Saudi Arabian iPhone launch successfully signs up 25,000 new iPhone subscribers that will probably be receiving Apple's next generation iPhone in approximately three months.
Andy Sambidge reports for ArabianBusiness that: "Saudi mobile operator Mobily notched up 25,000 subscribers within hours of its launch of Apple's iPhone 3G in the kingdom."
The iPhone 3G will be available in 500 Mobily and affiliate retail locations throughout Saudi Arabia and through Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Unlike in the US the iPhone in these countries will be sold with pre-paid and subscription based services.
The report mentionns that the current iPhone 3G does not handle the Arabic language very well, so texting in Arabic is not possible, and web pages are not rendered properly. However the report goes on to state, "these would be rectified and introduced within three months."