During a much-anticipated press conference Mobistar (a France Telecom company and Belgium’s second largest mobile operator) today released the details of the Belgian Apple 3G iPhone3G , to go on sale July 11th, our local ‘independence day”. Belgium is really a unique market for Apple. Unlike most countries on the planet, Belgian law does not allow to subsidize the sale of a phone (Apple’s 3G iPhone) with the sale of a subscription, making it very hard to find a solution for Apple’s iPhone3G business model.
After extensive last-minute pressure from Apple’s HQ, the Apple iPhone3G will go on sale in Belgium next Friday: SIM-lock free in 28 Belgian Apple and 150 Mobistar stores, without a “forced upon” subscription, although Belgian operator Mobistar is the only one with a iPhone-targeted content portal. Over 85% of Belgium has full 3G coverage.
The price for all this “legal freedom” is extremely steep: 525 EUR (US $820) for the 8GB 3G iPhone, along with a staggering 615 Euro (US $960) for the 16 GB version. Digitalworld.be quotes Apple’s COO Tom Cook, who allegedly said: who cares about Belgium? [pop 10 million]“, “let’s concentrate on the Chinese”. Let me quote digitalworld.be: “This is way out of line Apple, you greedy f***ers “.
Anyway, I’m pleased to say that I’m not sponsoring Apple’s greed. Are you? [Belgian Mobistar/Apple optional, inflated cell-phone plan prices for the overpriced Belgian iPhone 3G. Please add $900 for the legal, sim-lock-free Belgian Apple 3G iPhone].