Apple's iPhone could find Asia tough to crack

The company is betting the new phone's third generation (3G) capabilities, such as faster Internet access and file transfer, will make the phone a hit. Like the first version, the new model also has an iPod built in.

Many analysts are upbeat about its prospects, seeing Apple as a brand with a strong cachet in tech-savvy Asia.

"It is going to do well," Aloysius Choong, of Singapore-based industry research group IDC, told AFP.

"Apple is a strong brand in Asia and this is their maiden mobile phone offering in Asia. Just the Apple aura or the Apple halo means that there will be non-Apple users who will look at the product."

But in a region where having the latest gadget is almost an obsession, black market debut-version iPhones are already widely available, serviced by countless shops that "unlock" the software to allow them to operate.

With the phone already in circulation, the novelty factor will be less, which could emphasise the importance of pricing for the new model.

And that could prove to be an obstacle. Like elsewhere, Apple is only allowing the iPhone for sale through a limited number of operators -- whose pricing plans are not always particularly inexpensive.

The iPhone could also face an uphill battle in Japan, where handsets allow users to watch television and pay for goods like a credit card -- neither of which the Apple phone can do.

"I can foresee the iPhone storming the rest of Asia but not Japan," said Yusuke Tsunoda, a telecom analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre.

"Compared with Japanese cellphones, it is not technologically superior."

In the Philippines, meanwhile, where text-messaging is now a routine way to communicate, the phone's on-screen keyboard -- instead of the regular buttons of a traditional cell phone -- may be a turn-off.

"This could limit its appeal to the Filipinos, who love to text," said tech journalist Kendrick Go of the Manila Times.

He said pricing could also be a factor in the Philippines, where much of the population lives on two dollars a day or less.

"The iPhone's popularity in the Philippines will likely be confined to the high-end market," Go said. "It is just too expensive for the average consumer."

Finally, some consumers could be turned off if the iPhone becomes too much of a success -- and loses its cachet as a status symbol.

Vocabulary

début, n: the first time a new product is sold

cachet, n: superior status; prestige

savvy, adj: experienced; well-informed

gadget, n: small specialised mechanical device

obsession, n: something that you think so much about that you can't think about much else

novelty, n: the quality of being something different and/or new

particularly, adverb: especially

turn-off, n: something that causes you to stop being excited about something

appeal, n: power or ability to attract

status symbol, n: something that shows how high class you are

Questions

1. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the new iPhone?

a. début model

b. faster file transfer

c. faster Internet access

d. cheaper than the previous model

2. Why does  Aloysius Choong believe the iPhone will do well in Asia?

a. Asian people like Apple products.

b. It is the cheapest phone on the market.

c. Apple is offering free service with the iPhone.

d. It is the technologically most advanced phone available.

3. For what reason could people be less excited about the arrival of the iPhone in Asia?

a. Asian SIM cards don't fit into an iPhone.

b. It is already available on the black market.

c. People at McDonalds can get it with their burger.

d. It will be given away for free with every MacBook.

4. What problem might the iPhone face in Japan?

a. It can't speak Japanese.

b. Japanese people don't buy foreign technology.

c. The charger doesn't fit the Japanese power supply.

d. Japanese cellphones are already more advanced technologically.

5. What is probably the biggest disadvantage of owning an iPhone?

a. Operating it is expensive.

b. It might make your friends envious.

c. You would be very worried to lose it.

d. You can only call other iPhones from it.

Synonyms

Which of the following words or phrases replace the ones from the passage best?

1. bill

a. time

b. make

c. charge

d. advertise

2. upbeat

a. optimistic

b. delusional

c. big-headed

d. exaggerating

3. maiden

a. first

b. female

c. feminine

d. user-friendly

4. obstacle

a. boon

b. incentive

c. handicap

d. promotion

5. superior

a. popular

b. common

c. excellent

d. unknown

KEY

Questions                 1. a, 2. a, 3. b, 4.d, 5.a

Synonyms                 1. d, 2. a, 3. a, 4. c, 5.c

By Ajarn Horst Baelz