VietNamNet Bridge – MobiFone official on June 30 told VNExpress online newspaper that the firm has not reached any agreement with Apple to distribute iPhone in Vietnam.

“We are negotiating with Apple but we don’t expect to get the contract at any cost. In the worst case, we will give up the game,” said the official.

An anonymous source from MobiFone said that Apple’s conditions are not appropriate to MobiFone, especially profit sharing and advertising – marketing fees.

“If MobiFone accepts Apple’s conditions, we will face the risk of losses in three years while in a market for mobile phones like Vietnam, distributors can accept losses up to 3 months,” the source said.

An expert who joined negotiations with Apple revealed that Apple doesn’t see Vietnam as a potential market so perhaps it doesn’t need to have the third distributor very much.

Over three months after Viettel and VinaPhone launched iPhone in Vietnam, they have not achieved their expected sales. In the first day, the two firms stated to have more than 10,000 people booking the phone but now they refuse to disclose information.

Viettel seems to be not interested in iPhone 4. “We can’t sell the product that we know for sure that it will incur loss,” said a high-ranking official from Viettel.

PV