Joking that the iPhone Risk map was getting a little crowded up in Europe... turns out not to be a joke anymore:
Swisscom on Wednesday confirmed it will begin selling Apple's iPhone in Switzerland this year, possibly bolstering a recent report on the matter which also stated that the handset would arrive with video conferencing and other fresh features.
What fresh new features? As if borrowing from Kevin Rose's twitter feed, GPS, bi-direction video iChat Mobile, and mobile TV.
Checking the score board:
| Europe | North Am. | South Am | Asia | Africa | Oceania | Antarctica | Total | |
| Launched | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Announced | 6 | 2 | 15? | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 30 |
| Rumored | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 13 | 3 | 15? | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 38 |
Personally, I'm not sold on 2-way iChat yet, or Mobile TV unless Apple can break it out of the carrier-controlled sandbox in which it now languishes. This is a little too close to rumor-regurgitation for now. GPS, on the other hand, seems likely.
What do you think?
Reader comments
iPhone Risk: Swiss Timing and iChat + TV Rumors!
3G "iChat" or video conferencing is in general standard with any 3G phone... It was there first selling point here in Europe
well let's hope apple does put it in the next iPhone because its something I've been wanting and have been wondering why the U.S. market hasn't picked up on it. If apple does put it in then everyone else will want to copy them and then bam apple just made video chat standard on most smart phones in the U.S.
I'm not sure the US 3G network is as dense as that in Europe?
But I agree that pushing new technology is good, and that Apple has historically done this very well.