Via all three carriers in the country

Dec 8, 2009 07:54 GMT  ·  By

Cupertino, California-based company Apple was reported about three months ago to plan the official introduction of its highly popular iPhone on the market in Israel, and it seems that users in the country can finally prepare for the device's arrival. This week is said to be the lucky time frame for the iPhone enthusiasts in Israel, and Apple is gearing up for the launch.

The Apple iconic device is set to become available in the country via all three major carriers in Israel, something that Apple agreed with so as not to have the Antitrust Authority ruling its terms for the iPhone distribution as being restraint of trade. For what it's worth, one should agree that it is rather unusual to see the iPhone released on a market by more than one carrier at the same time.

The launch of the handset in Israel comes during the same time frame as its release in Guam, and is said to be followed by launches in countries like Qatar, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau in the near future. Already available in more than 80 countries around the globe, the iPhone seems determined to reach them all, or at least the most of them.

Originally, Apple was expected to perform the release of the iPhone in Israel around the date of October 15, and previous reports showed that the company approached the Antitrust Authority back in August-September so as to put things in order for the launch. However, it seems that not all things went well at that time, and the release has been pushed back with about two months.

According to a recent article on Reuters, there are already around 80,000 Israeli using the iPhone (they are said to have purchased the device from abroad), and each of the carriers committed to buy a minimum of 80,000 units. However, the total number is expected to be much larger, according to analyst Haim Israel from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.