Something that many of us have been longing for some time now has finally happened. Apple has announced that they will begin shipping the new iPhone 3G as from July at a dramatically reduced price ($199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model)Â compared to the “old” iPhone. It seems that the price will be subsidized by the mobile phone companies this time.
The new iPhone features 3G (yeah!), Wifi (yeah!) and GPS (yeah!) as well as full support for Exchange (beurk but, ok, I understand…)
You know the best news (and I thank David Channe Vy for pointing me to this), the iPhone 3G will be available in Mauritius too (yeah!) through Orange (yeah?) but maybe not in July but a bit later (as read here):
(Picture courtesy of Apple)
Ketwaroo D. Yaasir says
you will only get it in shades of orange and all the icons will be replaced by Orange’s logo.
it’ll probably cost a bit more than the announced $200 (that’s still bloody expensive!!!!!) so don’t yeah!! too much yet… But I almost thought you already had one. Didn’t you? Seems like the indispensable Geek Gear you’d saw your legs off to acquire.
oh and do we have the maps with GPS thing here in mauritius?
Eddy Young says
Great news, indeed. The new 3G iPhone almost makes me regret buying the Nokia N800.
Eddy.
Sailesh says
WOW, thats a great news, now we must say that MT did a good choice by welcoming orange :P
I always wanted to own an IPHONE but never bought it because of its 3G limitations but now am surely gonna grab one ;)
n!135h says
using an ipod touch (and now sad why i took it as my phone want to give up his life :D), this is a nice product
dnt expect miracle when web browsing though and the current safari i am using seems to like frames so much that it doesnt detect it :( {sucks to see a long page as they is no option to browse down in case of a frame is present}
apple’s product are nice bt the only downside i see is that the price seems astronomical where is, in some time, the only downside :(
well would be nice to have such here (and the proper frame work to cater for it ^^..)
lets wait and see :)
fluxy says
Sweet. That looks good, except:
[From the article]
“The price of the iPhone itself isn’t the only cost that’s changing, though. While the iPhone 3G requires a 2-year contract with AT&T, just like its predecessor, the new phone’s data plan will be slightly more expensive than the original model’s, running $30 a month for individuals and $45 a month for businesses.”
Will such a subscription be required in Mauritius too? If yes, will it be at a slightly more expensive than current pricing plans?
And it appears that part of the reason behind the iPhone 3G’s substantially lower price tag is that the wireless carrier is subsidizing a portion of the handset’s cost—a common occurrence with other phones, but not the case with the original iPhone.
It is known that in Mauritius that that the wireless carrier subsidizing a portion of the handset’s cost is not such a common occurrence – both in magnitude of portion and range of handsets, so the question that lingers is how will the selling price of the iPhone be affected in this regard? (will it be a notable exception or a pitiful repeat?). This aspects relates to the one above, but I *sigh* hope *sigh* a good balance is found between the two, for truly the iPhone is an amazing product.
carrotmadman6 says
The specs are standard, but the UI makes up for that… :P
As for the price, we’ll see what Orange cooks up! :) (Unlimited data? Unlimited call? Unlimited sms? 2-year contract?) ;)
#€|!0$ says
Will the current Orange service give access to the GPS??? That would be really “yyeahhhhhhhhhh!!!” ;) hehehehe And that’s cool $199 means about Rs. 6000 for the 8GB and around Rs.8500 for the 16GB…
I am wondering how come the price has dropped so drastically… Btw i suppose that the price will be greater than 6000 here in Mauritius… Just hope that all the features of the phone will be usable through the Orange Services… or even Emtel ;)
Vishal says
did u check those prices???? Rs8k for the 16 Gb iphone seems kinda cheap nah?
selven says
after hearing all the crap about iPhone lately, i wonder whether i still even thinking of owning one :D.
G@V!N says
Orange still needs to sort out the issues with its mobile network and QoS parameters for wired Internet.
I wonder what the QoS will be like for 3G…time will tell….but i am starting to save to get me one!!! And hopefully by that time we might have better mobile networks!
G@V!N
avinash says
So it seems that we have a kind of consensus: the Apple iPhone 3G seems to be a great phone (and ipod (notice the lowercase – I’m using it as an adjective) and browser.)
The only unknown is the pricing policy of Orange. Will they be able to sell it at $199 and $299? Will we have to fork $45 to pay monthly like in the US? Only time will tell…
Personally, and after thinking a lot, I believe I don’t mind buying an iPhone 3G at $299 and then use a normal prepaid subscription as I intend to browse a lot at home using Wifi. I don’t think I need an unlimited data plan yet…
MobilePhoneFan says
Today, I think the vast majority still prefer their (very?) cheap mobile which gives them everything they need: the ability to call & send a SMS :)
But at only $200, isn’t this too much a bargain? How customizable will it be? That’s just one question to begin with.
avinash says
We’re talking of an iPhone here… it’s (more or less) infinitely customizable :-)
Eddy Young says
@avinash: No, it is not infinitely customisable. In fact, it is not customisable at all unless you jailbreak it, as Apple have a lot of constraints for developers who wish to write applications for the iPhone. For example, applications can be sold only via iTunes Music Store.
Eddy.
Ketwaroo D. Yaasir says
it’s (more or less) infinitely customizable
but you still can’t iron a shirt with it. well maybe there is an extension you can plug in for that.
after hearing all the crap about iPhone lately,
what crap? tell us more. (I’m not really interested in acquiring an iPhone but it makes for an interesting read. To choose, I prefer a pocket watch. the clockwork is absolutely gorgeous in mine.)
avinash says
To Eddy:
It’s true that the iPhone imposed some drastic limitation on developers previously but since the release of the SDK and the new App Store, things are looking exciting.
The Unofficial Apple Weblog states that:
“Developers will be able to sell their apps in the App Store, and can set their own price. They’ll receive a monthly payment of 70% of sales, with 30% going to Apple for their credit card, hosting and marketing services. There are no additional costs for listing apps, after the $99 setup fee.”
Sure, it’s not free compared to, say, developing a small Java midlet and hosting it on your own server… In defense, I would say that the SDK allows a competent programmer to develop applications as powerful as desktop Mac applications (with Cocoa / Objective-C) with full access to the underlying iPhone hardware. Given the creativity of Mac developers, I believe the sky is really the limit and that we’ll all be mesmerized by iPhone applications sometimes next year…
carrotmadman6 says
The iPhone is an incredibly powerful device… but Apple has unfortunately crippled it in the name of “it just works.” :)
No java support, no native flash support, no multitasking, no background processes & much more (couldn’t read the whole list of things).
But where Apple have scored a hit is with the SDK. Virtually anyone can make iPhone apps using the UI-oriented Cocoa Touch. :P
S60 & Windows Mobile are more powerful mobile OSes, but unlike Apple they failed to provide such an intuitive SDK & one-stop App Store (& UI as well). But they are catching up… ;)
Shane says
My latest book purchase, Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X (Third Edition), was delivered at the office last week. I’m itching to get into it. I’ve got to finish this other project first, but I’ve been reading up whenever I can anyway. Not getting much sleep lately!
Nothing like an awesome device to make you want to write software for it. Apple have a winner on their hands. It took nearly a year to sprout 3G capabilities, but we’re finally there.
David Channe Vy says
@Eddy:
With iPhone 2.0, there are 3 ways to officially (i.e. without Jailbreak) get applications on an iPhone: The AppStore (via 3G, wi-fi and iTunes), Enterprise distribution (for distributing in-house applications through a company’s Intranet to authorized phones via iTunes) and Ad Hoc distribution (to a maximum of 100 phones via email and upload them via iTunes).
@carrotmadman6:
True there’s no flash support, no multitasking and background processes for 3rd party apps. But the trade-offs make sense for mobile devices. Background processes can take a lot of unnecessary CPU cycle or eat battery life if it is not properly terminated. In such cases, the user would need a Task Manager (like in Windows Mobile), to manually shutdown an offending app to free resources. Also multitasking on the limited screen estate of mobile devices is not totally justified as most users will run only one application at time (play a game, watch a movie, read emails or browse the internet).
carrotmadman6 says
Bad news for everyone looking unsubsidized (aka unlocked) iPhones. In Europe, it’s 499€ (Rs 21k) for the 8GB & 569€ (Rs 24k) for the 16GB model! :'(
Let’s hope Orange will sell it subsidized at fairly low price…
@David Channe Vy
Even my 4-year-old Nokia 7610, with S60, has multitasking & it has been a life-saver many times! But i believe the enormous iPhone hacker community will be able to come up with something for the rescue of multitaskers! ;)
PS. Btw i’ve posted about the iPhone here & the trackback isn’t working properly… :P
Abouna says
8500rs LOOOOOLLL
everyone gonna own one ><
even marchant confi xD
Ajay Ramjatan says
My understanding is the announced price is the one that you get when buying a service plan from an operator. Abroad, you can get cheap phones provided you subscribe to, lets say, a yearly service.
My knowledge about this subject is limited. Perhaps Eddy who is living UK can englighten us about cellular service plans in UK?
avinash says
Exact, Ajay!
$199 and $299 are the subsidized prices. In Mauritius, we’ll be lucky to get much change from Rs. 20,000.
Oh well. That’s what it is really worth I suppose…
Eddy Young says
@Ajay: Depending on the service plan and duration of contract term, you can get the phone either for free, or at a discounted price. When the contract expires (12 months or 18 months), you can renew it with a phone upgrade, or you can keep your existing phone and take a discount on the service plan instead.
Personally, I have been using a Nokia 6630 for years, having opted for a discount on the same service plan instead of the phone upgrade. My colleagues are baffled how I can spend less than GBP 15.00 on mobile charges, including 3G. The trick is to stack the discounts year after year and to use the saving to buy a SIM-free phone.
On the other hand, my wife upgrades her phone every year and passes on the “old” one to relatives in Mauritius.
As for me, with cabinets filled with the latest phone models in the office, I am immune to mobile phone lust, sort of :-)
Eddy.
Patrick Ng says
Would it not be more comfortable to browse the net on a computer if you are at home?
avinash says
Not from my couch… Actually, I don’t like moving my MacBook around. I (practically) always use it in the same room in my house. Hence my willingness to get something like the iPhone which will actually allow me to browse from everywhere… especially the toilets :-)
Eddy Young says
@avinash: I think that my reply to Ajay might have been swallowed by Askimet. Can you please check?
Eddy.
selven says
bloody geek! dude, there are other things more fun than the net! after all these years normally one should be bored of that…. else you get overdosed
avinash says
It all depends on what you access, I guess. Personally, I am not bored at all.
Eddy Young says
From personal experience, anti-bacterial wipes are very handy :-)
My MacBook Pro is all over the place, sometimes even in the garden. But, I still find a handheld device handy when I am out. Bored while my wife is shopping, I fire up the Nokia N800 and connect to the Internet via 3G.
Eddy.
Patrick Ng says
I don’t move my MacBook a lot either, but I don’t surf in the toilets. It’s probably the only place in the world where I am 100% of what I am doing.
@Eddy
I must check if similar plans exist in Canada. For sure, I can get a subsidized phone for cheap or for free if I get a plan, but I don’t know about the discount. I am currently using a prepaid service. My workplace is only 15 minutes away from home and I therefore don’t need 3G yet.
Are not the phones passed on to relatives locked ?
Eddy Young says
@patrick: I don’t know about voice call plans, but Canada has one of the most expensive data plans in the world. Amusingly, the data plan from Emtel is the cheapest that I have ever used.
I unlock the phones before giving them away.
@avinash: Not telling you what to do with your own blog, but why is Abouna’s comment even allowed?
Eddy.
avinash says
Hi Eddy, I’ve deleted the comment you referred to…
Patrick Ng says
@Eddy
Voice call plans are okay, but data plans, like you said, are very expensive.
Ketwaroo D. Yaasir says
@selven.
there’s worse (or better) than ears. some actually have a fetish for nose hair tweezing (any area with sensitive nerve endings is an excuse for some perverse sexual practice…). it’s an interesting concept though…
and why in the toilet of all places? One of the places where you’d least want to drop you expensive new toy. And the warranty probably doesn’t cover those kind of accidents…
Nirish Beeharry says
Ok my view;
Once again Apple shows itself to be closer to the Microsoft business ( high profit- low product value ) model.
Ok I am a bit peeved cause I do own the full price original Iphone.
But to me the main reason of purchase (admittedly) was to own something a bit exclusive, after all, it’s by no means the best phone on the market.
By making it cheaper and more accessible to the MASS MARKET, Apple HAS to be lowering cost; and that HAS to mean lower quality parts (plastic over metal?) – and there is no one on earth who can tell me that Apple are going mass (again) for the love and support of there ‘followers’ its purely business and a cheaper product… of course selling out /going mass is not a new business model but don’t be fooled into thinking the product is the same thing at a cheaper price.
The original Iphone with all its failings was a classic in business AND Product development, but the new version is simply the difference between Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani – the latter being nothing more than something mass produced in China somewhere.
Time to look at a real phone methinks…. that new Samsung touch screen F700 looks dapper…. any1 wanna buy a real second hand Iphone?
:)
avinash says
Hi Nirish,
The iPhone 3G is not $199 or $299. It is only available at those prices when you subscribe to a 2 years long data plan worth $45 per month. The real price is around $700-$800. As a matter of fact, the iPhone 3G will be available at those premium prices in some country like Italy and, I believe, Mauritius…
Don’t worry. Apple “toys” are still exclusive :-)
Avinash
PS: Quand plan?
Zenfantterrible says
when will this day come? My N80 is becoming mad and my ipod is dead, the iphone 3G will replace them perfectly :-)
Amy says
Dear Sir,
I was once following Data Structure classes lectured by you. I have an iphone. Abrand new one my sis just sent me from UK. But I’m unable to connect. Everytime it tells me “You are not a subscriber of EDGE”, or “Could not connect to EDGE” things like that. Can you advise me what to do? How do I get connection to a Wi-Fi? What are the steps I should take? Thanking in advance.
avinash says
Hi,
I think I remember you :-)
Unfortunately, I can’t really help you concerning the iPhone because I don’t have one. Maybe someone more familiar with it can help?
Eddy Young says
Based on what you describe, it’s the old iPhone. It doesn’t support 3G, and EDGE isn’t available in Mauritius, as far as I know. It doesn’t support Wi-Fi ever.
Congratulations! You’ve got an expensive paperweight!
Eddy.
Eddy Young says
I meant to type *either* and not *ever*.
Eddy.
carrotmadman6 says
@Amy
EDGE is indeed available in Mauritius, but only with Orange. & the speed sucks! :|
Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Network” > “EDGE”
You need to use “orange” as access point name. Leave Username & Password blank. :P
Eddy Young says
Woopsie! I stand corrected about the availability of EDGE in Mauritius (thanks, carrotmadman6).
If you are very determined to surf over your existing Internet connection instead of the costly EDGE, consider buying a femtocell device. I noticed some models were available from computer shops in Mauritius.
Eddy.
avinash says
Funnily (?), Wikipedia is not accessible from Mauritius (at least for those using MT) at this moment…
carrotmadman6 says
@Eddy
Nah, there’s no need to do rocket scientry! iPhone gen-1 has WiFi support. Just buy a wifi router. :P
Eddy Young says
Does it? We have one in the office for testing, and we never found the WiFi feature; we even bought an iPod touch to get WiFi! But then we have loads of pre-commercial devices.
Eddy.
Amy says
Hey that’s great!! I thought that thing was useless, that’s why I kept it sleeping home cz I prefer my k800i. Thanks for the info! :)
Drake says
The iPhone 2 does support java midp?
And on what O/S does it rely on?
Only Orange would be selling it?[Orange your FUP suck]
What browser will be integrated in the iPhone 2?[Safari mobile?!,Opera’s the best]
Drake says
Someone can reply please
carrotmadman6 says
@Drake
The iPhone is the only phone that doesn’t support Java Midp – no java games or apps then.
It uses OS X, way behind Windows Mobile & Symbian.
Yeah, only Orange would be selling it & you wont be able to use Emtel coz it will be probably be locked if subsidised.
It’s not Safari mobile – it’s a fully-featured Safari, but you cant install any other browser.
:)
iqbal says
Hi,I love the mobile can we have it at the of this month and give an idea of the price
Hihihi says
Avinash would then make software for the iPhone 2 and then post donwload link for us!! Youpi!
#€|!0$ says
LOL… Check this out -> http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080711/ap_on_hi_te/apple_iphone
Singh says
Does anyone know the actual date of when it will be released in Mauritius?
Arnaud B says
Hey :D, indeed that’s great news but Orange has nothing about it on its website and I was wondering whether we’ll get the Iphone soon or not !! :(
I see it everywhere on the web but not on Orange’s Mauritian portal. :( :(
carrotmadman6 says
@Everyone
There’s no definite iPhone launch date… it may be as early as this September or at the end of the year. ;)
I dunno how much time they’ll take to setup iTunes Mauritius, but the BIG question is whether it will be subsidised? If not, expect a high price tag (above Rs 25k) :(
armand says
Will the GPS work in Mauritius
carrotmadman6 says
@armand
Of course, the GPS will work. :P
But the GPS along with Google Maps, that’s not certain coz there are currently no Google Maps, with detailed street view, for Mauritius.
Anascrash04 says
imo it wont work armand
and yeah plz note this down… iPhone doesnt have bluetooth
so no wireless headset and sending and receiving music/video’s from friends
" class="comment-author-link" rel="external nofollow" itemprop="url">Armand says
The iphone 3g has bluetooth
Some111 says
Maybe no bluetooth, but wifi
armand says
http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/specs.html
Mobile and wireless
UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
carrotmadman6 says
Currently the iPhone Bluetooth does not “officially” support A2DP, which means no stereo via BT. If you pair your headset, it will only be mono. ;)
But I bet you can hack A2DP onto your iPhone… :P
Arnaud B says
Would ya know the approximate date for launching in Mauritius?? Seems even Orange’s Mauritian web page contains no single detail IRO Iphone at all !!
Arnaud B says
Mauritius deploys first country-wide Wi-Fi
Broadband in paradise
Written by Iain Thomson
vnunet.com, 20 Jun 2005
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Mauritius has become the first country to offer nationwide wireless internet access, as part of its quest to become a regional technology hub.
The network gives contiguous wireless broadband coverage of more than 100 square miles, enabling the island’s 1.2 million inhabitants to access the internet via a submarine cable installed three years ago.
The wide-area wireless broadband system uses smart antennas to boost performance and can be upgraded to 802.16e WiMax once the new standard is approved.
“We looked at other high speed broadband options and, in our scenario, DSL and cable modem were not viable options,” said Rizwan Rahim, chief executive at ADB Networks which was responsible for the roll out.
“The rugged terrain of Mauritius requires a solution with no line of sight and cost effective deployment.”
The country is offering incentives to encourage IT companies to set up business as part of a move away from relying on agriculture and tourism.
These include lower rates of corporation tax, increased tax breaks on IT purchases and up to 50 per cent discounts on personal tax rates for IT staff.
Mauritius has also tightened up its computer crime laws and begun offering widespread IT education for its citizens.
The moves mirror those in Dubai and some other Gulf States to attract IT jobs.
?????????????????????????
Is it true ?? so when I’ll get my Iphone I’llbe able to connect anywhere, anytime ?? :D:D ??
armand says
maybe in september, in the us (at&t) is out of stock
carrotmadman6 says
@Arnaud B
That’s not WiFi. It’s the Nomad Wimax! LOL :P
armand says
went to telecom, all they say that check on their website
Anascrash04 says
+1 carrotmadman6
its Nomad Wimax
imagine you have iPhone with an internet with limits on the phone like pay per minute or per kb downloaded :P that would suck right? but i think i can see it coming
armand says
please note that we pay per kb same for emtel, but its got wifi
Hans says
Mayb am the 1st mauritian in mauritius havin the iphone 3g…tak care guys…
avinash says
Does it work well with the local 3G networks? Did you have to unblock it?
armand says
to hans how can you be the first while it has not arrived yet
to avinash Orange will launch it so it may be blocked but a software will come to unblock it
As I know by Apple IShop its will come around September.
Anascrash04 says
see lexpress today techno section, the iphone 3g got owned xD
armand says
heard Orange Réunion has already selling Iphone 3g
is that true
armand says
http://iphonefreakz.com/2008/06/30/unlocked-french-orange-iphone-3g-prices-revealed/
The French mobile operator Orange will sell the iPhone 3G unlocked. The 8 GB version will make you about €509 (802$ !!!!) poorer and for the 16GB iPhone 3G you will have to cough up 609€ (960$ !!!!). Belgium is expected to have to pay roughly the same, this is due to the fact that selling Sim-locked devices are illegal. The iPhone 3G will be available starting from 17th of July in France.
Another interesting fact is that Apple will require any user that bought a unlocked iPhone to register their IMEI number on a special list. So when you need to upgrade to a new firmware your iPhone will be automatically unlocked.
armand says
heard a gaming shop in rose hill will be selling iphone 3g at this end of the month
carrotmadman6 says
@armand
$800 sucks. Hope Orange will subsidise it here… otherwise it will be the same price… or more? ;)
Arnaud B says
If you buy a jaibroken Iphone it’ll most surely get locked as soon as an update is installed. Best thing is to wait for Orange to launch it. For iphones bought already unlocked (lotsss of money) it requires that you register the IMEI so that product upgrades do not fk up your phone.
Have a lil patience :)
Arnaud B says
http://www.orange.mu/mobile/iphone3g.php !!!!!!!!!!!!
Arnaud B says
just called Orange yesterday, I chose to connect to the section responsible for commercial information. They did not even know what was the Iphone 3G :O !!
They hought I called for info about 3G coverage LOL !!!
Well.. I just think I’ll have to be patient… :(
Anascrash04 says
Friends gone to infotech and confirmed that they iphone 3g hasnt been mentioned at all
armand says
at infotech they told me it will be in Orange shop by the end of this month at Rs 21000
Arnaud B says
@ armand
Is this confirmed ??? Then if you got the price of the handset, maybe you also got the price of the plans they plan to set up for the Iphone 3g
armand says
he told me the price for a prepay not postpaid,
I should wait till the end of this month for the final price
armand says
while you wait watch when its here
http://www.orange.mu/news/
Arnaud B says
so… still no news about the launch of the 3G Iphone .. ??
armand says
in india it will be out on aug 22
http://www.airtel.in/iphone3g/
http://www.vodafone.in/iphone/Pages/iPhone_details.aspx?cid=kar#
As always no word from these agents at Orange sitting at Telecom tower showroom
armand says
just spoke to mauritius telecom guys, they know when will they release the iphone but they won’t give information to the public
does anyone know the release dates leaked from telecom
Arnaud B says
Just called Orange, they told me it would be released very soon but could not tell me exactly ehrn because it was not official yet. I asked it it was more like september or october and told me it was gonna be real soon. So we may assume it will be september :D !!
armand says
I heard it may be at the end of this month
armand says
http://aaplinvestors.net/facts/iphoneintl/
Mauritius is in 50 place
Anascrash04 says
i heard its ~ 850$ in india ;)
from reliable sources
armand says
may be its unlocked
Arnaud B says
:'(
Just called on Orange customer care service (203-7503) and they informed me that they planned to launch the Iphone 3G around December but it was not yet official :O :'( !!
armand says
lets all call them to get a better result
Arnaud brunel says
Just called again, they said maybe in a couple of weeks or more, just don’t understand anymore
unknown_name says
well, from my source, I heard it will be in Septembre… The best way to confirm this is to ask someone (family?) who works in telecom to tell you the release date
Patrick Ng says
I can see a lot waiting for the iPhone to be available in Mauritius. In Canada, it’s available already, but I don’t want one. Life is not fair, is it?
Arnaud brunel says
@avinash
Hi, am accessing your blog through my mob phone, is there no way to get rss for this entry only?
armand says
I went to customer care and they told me it will be after mid september
asdasd says
lol stop giving fake hopes , it wont be here this year
avinash says
To Arnaud Brunel,
Of course, this blog is powered by WordPress after all. Use:
feed://www.noulakaz.net/2008/06/11/the-iphone-3g-will-be-available-in-mauritius/feed
hashvind says
i hope it will happen.coz i bought iPhone from o2 network bill pay and it cost
me 300 euro and it cost me 150 euro to unlock it. so imagine you are going to buy it here on prepay or bill pay….and in Rs…
some countries in europe did not receive iPhone yet whereas mauritius telecom where telecom couldnot afford his own network and depend on johannesburg for internet which is very very expensive is going to bring iphone…
thats a joke….
Arnaud brunel says
Got the info that iphone has been received and is on test. They won’t release it this month.
armand says
any news
Arnaud B says
pfff :O
absolutely nothing. Am really thinking of trying an unlocked one, just can’t wait. Orange should not be too long to advertise it, so i’ll be patient for another month… :(
Anascrash04 says
get another phone xD
Jo says
@Anascrash04, dude we don’t want other phones except iPhone!!!! those crap N95 and nokia craps are good to put in dustbin… WE WANT iPhone IN MAURITIUS AND THAT’S ALL ;)
Well, I’m getting really tired of waiting for iPhone 3g in Mauritius… We are in mid Septembre and we are still not given any official info about the release date… That’s really frustrating… Well maybe we should do something instead of waiting.. Like harassing those Orange guys till the spit out the truth :D
Anascrash04 says
there are other phones with better features , but yeah the iphone is pretty nice by its looks
armand says
There is no news from telecom, I wonder if Mauritus is listed after all
Jo says
Well, we need someone working at Orange to spit the truth!! If any of you have good friends or family working at Orange, you should ask them… I just wonder whether Orange knows that Apple has put Mauritius on its iPhone 3g World Tour :S Besides, at http://www.apple.com, they have mistyped the orange store… They’ve put oranage store which seems like they’re completely pissed off :S
Arnaud B says
Whatever, even if they don’t give a damm ’bout Mtius, the fact is Iphone 3g IS coming and I’ll be getting one !! :D
Jo says
I just read on applesider that iPHone is coming around 26th Septembre :D
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/09/23/apple_preparing_to_launch_iphone_in_29_more_countries.html
but still no news from orange-.-
avinash says
Thanks for this Jo. Let’s hope for the best.
Jo says
Just to tell you that Hong Kong has got the iPhone 3g fuly unlocked (officially)… but at a high price… around Rs21000 :S ><!
armand says
it must be activated
Jo says
Yeah it must be activated… But you can activate it at home!!! :D I’m gettng afraid of the price when it’ll come to Mauritius :(
avinash says
Hi all,
I’ve just been told that the iPhone 3G will arrive in Mauritius at the end of October and will be officially launch in November.
I don’t know anything about the price.
Jo says
Hrem, can I know where did you heard this news?
Arnaud Brunel says
Great :D !! I can’t wait !! A friend of mine got if from UK, seems it has to be unlocked :O !!
avinash says
To Jo: Unfortunately no…
Arnaud Brunel says
ok guys, seems like Orange is serious about launching ipgone 3g soon, they even put back the add on their website :D:D !!
http://www.orange.mu/news/
http://www.orange.mu/mobile/iphone3g.php
avinash says
Ok. So we’ve not been talking out of thin air after all :-)
Let’s hope the price is reasonable.
zenfantterrible says
Hello friends.. On the orange website they are telling that they will sell the iphone soon but how is it that in Reunion Island they are already selling the iphone? We are very close to them and why does they have the privilege to have it before us? The next thing is incredible: Mauritius and Reunion both uses the SAFE cable for internet and in Reunion they are having a connection of 8 Mbps MAX for 64 EU (about rs 2700) Go and check it yourself http://www.orange.re/boutiques-orange/offres-et-services-internet/internet.html. Why are the cyber island so late ? Why are we calling us even a cyber island? The cyber city (must be a joke) is mainly occupied with call centers (Is that what makes us a cyber issland? CALL CENTERS!)
avinash says
I don’t want to sound condescending but there is something Mauritians need to realize: Réunion is France. It is a rich country which can subsidize a lot of things for its taxpayers.
Compared to other independent African countries, it’s not that bad here :-)
Arnaud Brunel says
Just heard that the plan which will come with the Ipgone 3g will be approx Rs 2K but with only about 1 1/2 H talking time and limited internet connection ( per hour and not per Kb)
This is probably the 1st time I’m praying sooo hard for a rumour to be wrong !! :O
avinash says
1.5h of talking time per month? That’s 3 minutes per day!
Jo says
For some reason, Orange removed the iPhone from its page… What’s the meaning of this?:S
tisssh mastermind says
let it come with its price….
armand says
when will the iphone come now we are in december
krazman says
the blog https://www.noulakaz.net/2008/10/02/apple-iphone-3g-in-november-in-mauritius/ in outdated… not even in November… your source was wrong somehow… If you could manage to keep us updated with your source, it would be nice ;)
avinash says
I’ll ask. But it seems that there are technical issues right now which might explain the lateness.
Jo says
Hey, Avinash, why does my display picture shows that guy!?!?! That’s not me :S WTH? for example look at the post 122, who put this guy on my display picture?-.-
noone says
Iphome launching on Friday, 13000 Rs with a 2 years contract plan. No info on the bandwith and talktime.
armand says
that’s good news but the prepay plan
Jo says
Where did you got this info?
armand says
http://www.apple.com/mu/iphone/
noone says
It seems that Orange will not give max dl per month as they did in France. We will have to make tests and fight for a real 3G service.
Don’t waste your end of year bonus if you have any, This information is real. It would be a special Christmas deal on launching of MT 3G network.
Jo says
hey, but when will it come out? You said Friday, but there’s no pub… And what the F… this plan!!! Rs22,000 is way cheaper than the total cost of this plan… At least rs1000 per month… And yeah the iPhone 3g IS in Mauritius but Orange does not want to sell it.
armand says
i got news that the iphone has not arrived yet,
Jo says
Hey you know what, I’m tired of those news, I got my source and I know its in Mauritius… They just don’t know how to sell it that’s all… What I don’t understand is that they got at least 5 month since June and yet they have no idea what to do -.-
What I want is the release date and how they are going to sell it.. I hope for the best that its without those fu_king contracts
Shah says
*cough* some kp*g employees have their iphones working fine with a certain fruity isp.
jpf says
hi guys
I have been waiting too long for buying the iphone 3g. I juste bought one fron a dealer… It’s awsome :-) It has been unlocked but not jailbroken… Do anyone know how to configure visual voice mail on iphone?
Cheers
armand says
it will be on 19 December official date
carrotmadman6 says
@jpf
That’s the hardware-unlock right? Coz the software unlock is still unavailable…
Visual voicemail is network-dependent.
noone says
ok . pubico is the agency that is preparing the add….
i saw it….
the Lauching is postponed by 1 week….
and beware that there are only 1000 units in MT stock…
They have launched the christmas deals already but they want a special event for the iphone. Don blame me…. i m not the marketing manager…. but my infos are true and correct.
THE IPHONE IS ALREADY AT MT.
jpf says
@ CM6
I don’t know myself how they unlock it (hardware or software unlock) :-( But the iphone is working fine… I have no problems at all… ohhhh by the way, sometimes when i get a message, there’s no sound… some minutes later, the sound comes back… strange!!!!!
yuri says
19 dec 2008
Jo says
We still don’t know the price, whether there will be contract, and what the heck?!?! Only Orange shop rose hill? This is the most ridiculous idea of all times around the world to release the iPhone only in one shop… lol think about the queue
armand says
Rs 13000 contract unless they change their mind the last min
Jo says
How much do you think the contract will cost?
noone says
only 1000 units will be sold by MT. 13000 Rs with a 2 years plan!!!
NARESH says
Orange will launch the Iphone 3G in Mauritius on 19 December 2008. The Iphone 3G will be availble for Only POST PAID Users…
abi says
to armand : are you sure about the price or its just a random guess?
well, i really can’t wait to have it here on 19 dec, just hope its within my budget,lol..
armand says
yes i that’s the price
Jo says
WTF!!! ONLY TO POST PAID USERS?!?!?! F4GG0TS :@ WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW?:@
Fharad says
Hey Guys,
the launch will be on Friday.
But the sale will start on Saturday.
Please check with Orange Mauritius.
armand says
now you can reserve one on http://www.orange.mu
armand says
update from orange website
Pour finaliser les procédures d’enregistrement dans un des Orange Shops de Mauritius Telecom, n’oubliez pas d’apporter les documents suivants :
Si vous êtes un client résidentiel,
* votre carte d’identité nationale
* une preuve d’adresse (facture de Mauritius Telecom)
* Le numéro de votre compte bancaire (votre paiement sera prélevé automatiquement_’direct debit’)
* Relevé bancaire des 3 derniers mois
Genesis says
Bon get sa.le 19 lancement si je me trompe.b ki couyonad prix zot p discuter.mo cner zot p dne zot l’opinoin tou sa mais pa exagerer si pa ki.Cmt to cner ki samedi ki p van sa toi Fharad??to travy Telecom???Orange shop????lor site la mem pa meter quand pu van sa.donc ki pu chek ek Orange si pa ki.alors atan cmt tou dimoun.
avinash says
What do you think of this?
Jo says
Today some clients were angry at the staff as they weren’t selling the iPhone 3G and won’t tell the price… I know for sure its gonna be rs13,000 for a 8gb and rs1250 per months over 24 months… so good bye iPhone 3G… Orange you suck with your fucking contract… All I wanted was a rs23,000 8gb one without your fucking contract… Its been a long time I’ve been waiting, searching for any news, waiting months after months, having the patience to wait despite it was said to be in November, then waited for the 19th to come as it was supposed to be a special day… Thanks to Orange for lacking some profesionalism concerning selling the iPhone 3G… Here we are in Mauritius, they shouldn’t have sold the iPhone 3G like other countries do… We don’t want those fucking contract, but we want the iPhone… If only this message could have been published to some sort of newspapers for all the Mauritians people interested in the iPhone to see how orange had fucked up things, that would be great…
dyren says
hey guys ,,,,i heard they launching the iphone 3g in mau…. today,,,anyway i bought min e in the states …..trust me on that 1 ,,,if u gonna buy the iphone 2day,,,dont buy it with contract,,,,buy it without ,,,n then unlocked it ,,,,trust me i knw those thngs orange sucks
carrotmadman6 says
@Avinash
I’ve blogged about it:
http://www.themediaguru.co.cc/2008/12/orange-apple-cartel-deemed-illegal-in.html
@Jo
There’s only one way – buy an unlocked iPhone on eBay.
@all
Oh, btw for those who still want to buy your iPhone (even though you are at loss), don’t update it to the latest firmware if you want to unlock it. & don’t QuickPwn (Jailbreak) it as well.
The iPhone Dev Team (responsible for the software unlock app) have stated on their blog that they’ll be releasing their unlocking app on the eve of New Year.
More info here: http://blog.iphone-dev.org/
abi says
Thumbs up Jo!!
Dish says
can anyone tell me the actual price of iphone 3g? because according to JO, the iphone would cost 43000 at the end. n how are some people using the older version iphone? are they using a pre paid sim card ? so what if i ask some1 to bring the iphone from another country?
armand says
the tariff you all been waiting for
http://www.orange.mu/iphone/offer.php
avinash says
Bloody expensive I would say. Rs 45,975 over 2 years for a 16Gb iPhone with the cheapest plan is waaaaayyyyyyyy above what I am willing to pay for a phone.
armand says
emtel is offering HTC Touch HD the alternative to iphone
demonstration at its show rooms
I checked HTC website and it looks it better than i iphone
http://www.emtel-ltd.com/emtelpromos.php?promo=htc_promoL
carrotmadman6 says
@armand
The HTC Touch HD is a great phone in terms of specs, but underneath TouchFLO, it’s still WinMo 6.1 – not the best UI you’d want.
& I bet it’ll be equally expensive.
What Emtel should do is bring the 5800 XpressMusic – it would be really really cheap… :P
Oh btw, I’ve posted the total price for all offers:
http://www.themediaguru.co.cc/2008/12/iphone-3g-at-last-in-mauritius-it-sucks.html
& sorry for the spamming… :)
dyren says
TELL ME SOME1….about itunes ,,,how is it going to work,,,coz in itunes u cant c maurituis,,,,thats suck …thats mean u cant down load anythings,,,,,
coz first of all u need to have a credit card,,,,MASTER CARD,,to be able to download stuff,,,,but i dnt sure if u can use ur maestro to download stufff…can some1 tell me wht the story with that,,,,,
armand says
only the communication cost is Rs 900 (550+100+250) and rs 359 for the iphone
think is a good package if you use them but 200 sms is way too far.
and they know you won’t able to use all of it
Karine Ming says
There is no internetal storage in the htc touch hd.
i am buying the 16gb iphone on monday.
armand says
i also got news that the iphone 3g 8g is Rs 23000 can anyone tell me where to get it
armand says
http://soyezpret.sfr.fr/
abi says
Unless you’re working and making a lot of money Karine, i won’t say anything else ;)
dyren says
pls can some1 tell me how the itunes gonna work here
Dish says
armand says:
December 20th, 2008 at 18:47
i also got news that the iphone 3g 8g is Rs 23000 can anyone tell me where to get it
check this week 5plus..bt the RS 23000 is excluding tax
Arnaud says
@ diren
Itunes can be configured with a U.S a/c, simply try to “purchase” a free app, then it will ask you to log in, just sign up then. Its important to try to get an app first. On payment Screen just select “none” and complete remaining fields. that’s it. You will be able to download all free stuff.
Now you may, just like me, jailbreak it (which includes instaling cydia and installer – included when jailbreaking) and add sources to get apps from.
David Channe Vy says
Official list of countries where unlocked iPhones are available:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937
avinash says
Thanks for this David. I’ll get mine either from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg, Macau, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan or Turkey :-)
abi says
I should have taken it when my friend went to Hong-Kong,was 18k for the 3g 16gb and i thought it was expensive,pff..
Found two places having the iphone 3g 16gb here but at 35k and 39k :(
arnaud b says
Got all apps free without itunes.
armand says
I bought mine at 8g Rs25000 + free casing
Jo says
armand can I know where did you buy your’s at rs25,000? I’m interested
armand says
gallery ever shine 1 fl game shop( the place where they sell games,pc/playstation parts)
i got a discounted price because its was on display and the last one
Jim says
39k an iphone 3G 16 Gb???
1K=3.4527459 Mauritian rupees
therefore 3.4527459 X 39
= Rs 134.
Are you joking?
Jo says
@ armand, is it the rs25,000 for the 3g version? also you said on display and the last one, so that means it was the last iPhone in the shop :(
Jo says
lol @ Jim!!!! 39k means Rs39,000 !!!!! LOL ^_^!!!
Jim says
I thought k = hong kong dollars.
abi says
lol..
wep, rs35,000 at i think Zeid(not sure about the name) in rose-hill and rs39,000 at CT zone in Happy World House port-louis..
Shah says
A friend told me that the unlocked and packaged iPhone 3G is being sold Rs. 14000 + VAT + 1 year warranty @ Distritech, Rose-Hill.
Does anyone know of this company?
dyren says
guys ,,,,,,,,ask me whatever u want on iphone 3g ,,,,,,got mine long time ago,,,the day it realese it the staes ,,,,i got it in 2 weeks later,,,but wasnt unlocked yet,,,but not i ve unlocked it n its workinhg fine,,,,,,,,,im here if u need help,,,,i can jailbroke it ,,,unlocked it for for free,,,,,,,,,,
contact number is 7897764…trust me ,,,
ps ,, i dont knw ,,,can u buy the iphone 3g with orange n cancel the contract,,its gonna b expensive tho,,, anyway,,,,,,but orange selling the baseband 2.2,,,its fine i can unlocked it tho,,,,,,now mine is using even EMTEL,,,its hectic ,, the 3g is fast,,,,,its wonderful,,,
n if any1 want to buy iphone 3g just contact me,,,,,
thx
Arnaud brunel says
Hi, i have a friend who had iphone 3g 2.1 which i updated to 2.2, jailbreaked ( i think each of you knows how to do it by now) and installed a small app to remove the sim lock as turbo sim stopped working after the update. Every one can do it at home in a few minutes.
Need advice mail me at
jpf says
How to activate visual voice mail for orange ???
Can someone help me please…
Ars says
I was thinking about the activation screen on the iPhone 3G that allows you to make emergency call only… Can iTunes activate it for you even if you don’t have a valid sim card? (hacktivation)
I don’t wanna be stuck on the activation screen… I know how to do the stuff cydia—> yellowsn0w, but how am I gonna access cydia if I can’t even access the springboard (menu)
Arnaud says
Easy guy, only a few settings u have to input on your iphone, settings > phone > call forwarding > turn on and insert :
+230 125″your num”
e.g +230125*******
K, simple, now again, when turned on all calls are forwarded to your voicemail inbox, don’t know how to choose options like ” when turned off” or ” when busy”
Another thing u’d like to know is that for conference calls u have to ask Orange to enable 4 u on their switch. Even them may not know how if u go there and ask, just go there and ask them to activate it on their switch, LOL
hashim says
Forget the iPhone, it sucks. Have a look at the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music also called the tube. Now we’re talking…
avinash says
As a matter of fact, I’ve been having a look at the 5800 for some time now. It looks quite interesting especially when the price is taken into account…
dyrenr says
hi folks,Ive got a good news for all i phone user in mru,
any1 of u who cant buy an app on APP STORE,
THERE Realy WANT to get somethings nice like a game of anythings u want,.,i can help u ,,,even its expensive i can get it 4 u ,,
any1 who is interrest just email me on
trust me guys,,u will love it,,
dyrenr says
hi folks great news ,,
the iphone 3G”S coming to mauritius aug 9..
avinash says
But without being able to buy apps from the App Store, the iPhone 3GS is still severely crippled…
dyrenr says
wht u mean ,,cant buy app on apple store ,,
of course we can bro..
dyrenr says
by the way any1 who wants to unlock ,jailbreak thier iphone
contact me 7897764 or 9875119
any version ,firmware,
Nitish says
Hello Folks,
I had lots of fun using my Iphone 3G, waiting now to upgrade to 3G S very soon.
Great job done there.
Regards
Oscar says
just waiting for the release of 3G S here. BTW can anyone tell when will it be launched here. Because Orange has a promo sale for old iphone 3G now @ http://www.orange.mu/iphone/offer.php
But they are not telling if the 3GS has been released.
dyrenr says
great news that we gonna get it august 9th ,confirm
Spinner says
Hi, will Orange offer iPhone 3G users an upgrade to iPhone 3GS like other countries do?
avinash says
Why don’t you ask them? :-)
NEO says
In reference to buying apps from app store.Thats not necessary : Jailbreak the iPhone which you have to if you want to use an Emtel Sim like i do :) and get apps from cydia instead.
waza says
hi i just buy a jailbroken iphone…i can dowload apps from cydia..but it seems that the apple store contain more interesting apps
my question is: can i get an account on apple store if my iphone is jailbroken?
because i know that the update for the os software for jailbroken iphone must not be done on itune..otherwise it will be reset and the phone will be no more jailbroken.
paid upload says
I have been thinking of looking for a phone that allows dual sim cards for my next phone as this would be useful when i am travelling abroad.
ashfaq says
anyone got an idea of the iphone price in mauritius ??
yajna says
the price of the iphone in mauritiuso.O???? ><plzplzplz:d
chobs says
34000rs
yaas surfooddeen says
hello…my iphone 3g is freezed…i was resetting my setting n my mob was shut down due to low battery,may i know how much it will cost to repair my mob???help me plzzz
Abdool says
Hi Yaas surfooddeen,
There’s no need 2 repair ur iphone!!! Ur iphone is just gone in DFU or recovery mode.
It is very easy 2 came out of this mode..
Have u recently update ur iphone os to 3.1.3?
Is ur iphone jailbreak?
waiting 4 ur reply.
Abdool
Jean Marc says
Hello,
Anyone of you know who repairs iPhones in Mauritius. I got one I bought in Dubai and my LCD has lots of stuck pixels on the screen which is really annoying since it covers at least 10% of the screen.
Thanks.
Divine says
Forget the Iphone 3G, the Iphone 4G has been launched ;)
Marc Grant says
Jean Marc, we can repair the iPhone, just pop by our Showroom in Curepipe or give us a call…details are on the website.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Curepipe-Mauritius/Paoma/146558043895
Nabeel Nazurally says
I am selling an iphone 3g
i’ve use it only for 1 month
Rs 20000
Anyone interested contact me
mathew says
can someone help me please??????????????
i restore my iphone 3g and it say sim not supported
Dyren says
Any1 having problem with there idevice should call me.I will fix it for u.
9875119. Or. 7897764
Gavin Wright says
java games are cool because they need very little resources and the graphics are good too.”:*
Abdool says
Good news to iPhone Fanatics!!
Comex has just released a Jailbreak for iPhone iOS 4.0. There is no need to download or install anything! You only need to:
1. Update your iPhone to version 4.0.1 from iTunes (9.2.1) or if you have downloaded the IPSW file manually.
2. Use your browser (Safari) on your iPhone and point to this link”jailbreakme.com” and then “Slide to jailbreak”
3. Finally, you will find a small icon “Cydia” on your iPhone desktop. Click on the icon and enjoy finding free softwares!!
:(
Abdool
Abdool says
Important notice!! This will not Hacktivated your Iphone!!
:))
Abdool
Abdool says
I have already jailbreak my iPhone 3G with previous firmware version 3.1.2. The new iPhone 4.0.1 works great! Nice interface and more performant than previous version!!
This version also include a new feature “Multitasking”…
All my previous applications works great without any issues!!
Note: The link “jailbreakme.com” is currently exhausted and try to reconnect again and again!
:)
Abdool
avinash says
To be fair, I should mention that I don’t have an iPhone and I have no idea what jailbreaking has as consequence. I am an Android user after all :-)
Ashvine says
Hi
I’ve bought an iPhone 3G from Malaysia. It worked well for a month after jailbreaking (redsnow + cydia). Recently my iPhone went out of battery. Ever since it displays connect to iTunes. Restoring on iTunes doesn’t work either.
Anybody can help? Thanks.
Kieran Adams says
the iphone 3G looks cooler and stylish than blackberry-“,
Mirrored Furniture says
sometimes i play so much java games that i loss track of time :’.