By Sia Ling Xin

HOME-GROWN telecommunications company MobileOne (M1) has secured the rights to sell the popular iPhone here later this year.

Information on when the company would launch the phone and the price it would be sold at would be released only later, M1 said in a statement yesterday.

It would say only: "M1 looks forward to offering the iPhone and a range of tailored service plans to customers in Singapore."

It is the second telco here to ink an agreement with United States computing giant Apple to sell its sleek 3G-network iPhones.

Rival SingTel was the first telco here to do so in August last year, and had been the sole distributor until M1 muscled in.

It offers the iPhone from $0 to $678, depending on the mobile plan and model chosen.

So far, SingTel has sold "tens of thousands" of iPhones, its spokesman said in a statement.

The spokesman added that its price plans will be reviewed regularly "to ensure that they offer the best value to our customers and remain competitive in the market".

The third telco here, StarHub, declined to confirm if it would be bringing in iPhones.

It would say only that it is "interested to bring the iPhone to StarHub customers".

Student Adeline Ng, 23, who has been eyeing the latest iPhone since her father bought one two months ago, said that M1's announcement is "great news".

With the ending of the monopoly, she hopes that "prices will drop so the phone will be more affordable".

The SingTel subscriber had hesitated over buying it earlier because she found the prices too steep, but may switch to M1 if its prices are attractive.

lingxin@sph.com.sg

Also read:

Singtel should lower iPhone prices
SingTel offers iPhones from as low as $0

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