Writes for Macworld, Macworld Indonesia, and Jakarta Globe. Tweets a lot.
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Everybody who signed up for iPhone 3G from Telkomsel would have gotten this email below, this afternoon.
I wouldn't have minded the lack of proper English in this email which looked like it was translated directly from the Indonesian version, but seeing the name at the bottom makes for a rather interesting thought.
Just last Sunday Google launched Google street map for Indonesia. I mentioned that it wasn't available on iPhone's Maps app yet.
Today it is. Maps app is finally good for something now. Choose the Hybrid view under the curl icon.
If you're on a Blackberry, it works too according to @irfant. Need to have Google Maps 3.02.
Sent from my mobile
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The battle between the number two and the number three smartphone makers in the world has spilled over to our shores.
A short while ago, Research in Motion and Indosat launched the new Blackberry Curve, the 8900, also known as the Javelin. It is the lightest, sleekest Blackberry model yet. Not too long before that, they launched Blackberry Bold, RIM's first 3G device. In the meantime, Apple and Telkomsel have announced that they are bringing the iPhone 3G to Indonesia.
Read more at Jakarta Globe
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Telkomsel has made the registration process public. The previous registration link posted have been replaced by http://www.telkomsel.com/iphone whereby anyone can register to reserve an iPhone 3G. All three models are available, Black 8GB, Black 16GB and white 16GB.
Unfortunately right now Telkomsel's website is very slow to load, possibly under heavy traffic. In addition, as with many other countries during the initial launch back in July 2008, Telkomsel has yet to release pricing details so right now we still have no idea how much the phones will be selling for, whether the data plan will included in the basic package at all, whether the phone will be sold locked or unlocked or if it will be similar to SingTel in Singapore whereby they sell them unlocked but tied to a 24 month contract. The reservation is commitment free. There are no considerations (money) exchanged between you and Telkomsel at the time of registration so both parties will be free to back away from the deal.If you're after an iPhone, make sure you have an iTunes account set up. Your iPhone won't be of much use without one. Summary:Comments [13]
Received this email minutes ago:
TELKOMSEL bekerjasama dengan Apple menghadirkan iPhone 3G di Indonesia dalam waktu dekat
Telkomsel today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring iPhone 3G to Indonesia in the coming months
Update 10:47 a.m: Indonesia now listed under Now Available (strangely Thailand has gone back to Coming Soon) http://www.apple.com/iphone/countries/
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Yet another Indonesian iPhone 3G news broke via Twitter
@yonan32 discovered last night that Telkomsel is now accepting orders for iPhone 3G. Unfortunately it seems that it currently is only available for limited market only as the order form on Telkomsel's website requires you to enter a particular ID. I'm still finding out what NIK CSDM means. It's likely to mean identity number for employees or privileged customers.
Why they chose to do it this way is as yet unknown but it does reflect the rumors that Telkomsel was going to release the iPhone 3G in mid-January internally before going public in February. Very likely that this is their method of testing iPhone 3G in a more public way. Another theory is that Telkomsel may not be selling it publicly at all and that this is only a corporate roll out? Yeah right.
Update 10:18 a.m: and now the entire Telkomsel website is down (or very very slow)
Update 10:25 a.m: @noitusan let me know that to register for iPhone pre-order you can also call 111 from a Telkomsel Halo number
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Thanks to @deon who alerted his entire Twitter follower base.
Apple Online Store Indonesia now has iPhone 3G placeholder. Clicking on the Find a store link will take you to an iPhone 3G preparation page. Following last week's launch in Thailand, it leaves Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and East Timor in the South East Asian region. Singapore and The Philippines are among the early wave of iPhone 3G countries in late 2008.
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It's practically a foregone conclusion that Telkomsel, Indonesia's largest mobile telecommunications provider will carry iPhone 3G for the Indonesian market. Some of its other sister telcos already are selling iPhones in their respective countries; SingTel in Singapore, Bharti AirTel in India, Optus in Australia and Globe in the Philippines. Early rumors pegged the Indonesian release period for September 2008 but the month came and went with no peep out of anyone and no sign of the hottest phone in the market being released officially. Private imports and non-official iPhone 3G's and even older iPhones are selling like hot cakes regardless.
The latest news to hit the web is that Telkomsel, after several apparent delays, will launch iPhone 3G in January or February, in other words, Q1 2009. Now make note that Gadnix, the source of this news have not been around for very long but the site is staffed by veteran bloggers in the mobile phone world who used to write for 3G Week.
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