From 26th September this year, Brazilians no longer need to illegally unlock iPhones bought on a trip to New York or Miami, as the iPhone 3G was finally made available in the South American country. In partnership with Apple, Brazil’s largest mobile phone provider Vivo Participacoes SA began selling the iPhone in a bid to drive sales and boost revenue.

The demand for iPhone was so intense that a large number of subscribers of the telecom group Claro went home disappointed on launch day. Claro received an initial lot of only 30 000 iPhones despite hoping for a larger number, as they already had 100,000 signed up for the new phone by late July.As one of the fastest growing mobile sectors in the world, Brazil has a population of consumers hungry for the latest gadgets. As much as they fulfil a technological need, the mobile phone to Brazilians is very much a status symbol, the iPhone finding itself on the top of the pyramid.

With total wireless penetration having reached 72% in the country as of August this year, Brazil’s mobile market is sure to continue growing at a significant pace. The total number of subscribers is expected to exceed 200 million by 2012, up from 150 million this year. 3G networks first properly reached Brazil in November 2007 and are now becoming readily available across the country, especially so in urban areas.

This should allow for the introduction of new services and, according to Cellular News, is expected to drive the growth of value added services such as ring tones, music, adult content, mobile TV and wireless broadband access to over $9.3 billion by 2013. The development of mature 3G networks in this marketplace will no doubt help the networks to compete, marketing of network specific high-end handsets such as the iPhone and offering exclusive content deals will help the networks find their own identity.

Relared research: Industry Strategic Outlook 10.2008
Brazil Wireless Industry Overview: Sim-Card Sales Continue to Push Wireless Subscriber Growth