SaudiMac Saudi Apple Macintosh Users
We reported earlier about new Mobily iPhone 3G bundles, the new bundles had an asterisk on each one with “* Conditions and terms apply” in the footer. What Mobily did not reveal was what those terms and conditions are. You had to go to a Mobily store and ask them. But apparently most customers can only get the original 99SR bundle.
That’s what Yousef Raffah did. He went to the Mobily store in Jeddah where he asked about the new bundles, they told him that they are available. But then they told him that he cannot get any of those bundles because they are “VIP” bundles. To become a VIP that is eligible for the new iPhone 3G bundles they told him he need to:
1) Be a Mobily subscriber for at least 10 months.
2) His number was not disconnected in the last 10 months.
3) An average monthly bill of 800SR ($212).
Yousef had the first 2 requirements but not the third, so he was not eligible for the new iPhone 3G bundles! It didn’t matter to them that he was a Mobily subscriber for 4 years! An interesting quote from one of the employees to him was “Ù†ØÙ† لا نريد أن ÙŠØصل كل من هب Ùˆ دب على آيÙون” which means “we do not want just anyone to have an iPhone!”.
It’s been a week since the release of the Apple iPhone 3G in Saudi Arabia and we keep hearing stories like this on how bad Mobily is handling the iPhone 3G launch. Apple needs to do something about unless they want their image to be tarnished by Mobily! If you want to share your experience with Mobily and the iPhone 3G then please comment on this post.
mobily is really kidding how they make the iPhone only for VIP, there are many people who want the iPhone. Also in Japan they are making campaign called “iPhone for Everybody” and here they say only for VIP. Apple must know about this.
iPhone is not a luxury item for it to be given a VIP status.
Mobily should have integrated their sales and marketing campaign for this.
excuse me,this is not about this topic but it is about the iphone,i live in khobar.
i read that the iphone is unlocked from mobily,so i can use any sim card,even zain?and if i do permanently wish to choose zain instead of mobily,what would happen to the contract?and does zain in saudi arabia work properly?and how will the internet and data connections work with it?because i really like zain and dont want t use the iphone with mobily,
please answer all my questions,as i could not find answers for them on the internet.
and thank you very much.ARIGATO GOZAIMASU
i could careless about their stupid bundles. They are ” obviously ” rip-offs but then, we cannot do a thing about it.
and why create those bundles on the first place ?
it’s JUST a phone for crying out loud. it ain’t no something sacred !
my brother and i were planning to get two from them but, not anymore. maybe from eBay ? i don’t know but still, the whole thing is about internet services and downloads and when i get an unlocked iPhone from wherever then i’ll have to pay 3 SR for every MB i download which is not a super great deal for me or anyone i guess!
ugh, i hate Apple for creating this mess >:(
Did you know that employees of iTechia (a store you featured here), particularly in the Jarir Plaza, are saying that the iPhones that Mobily’s selling are locked?
And that those that they sell for SAR4000 is the one that is really unlocked?
Are they just ripping people off? SAR 4000 for an iPhone from them against a SAR 2800 from Mobily has a very big gap in the price segment.
I bought an Iphone in Feb from Mobily, Paid SR99 for 199mb, 75 texts 75 sms. 1st March phone did not work, had bill from Mobily for SR219 for one week’s use. Went to office 5 times, was told the 99 package did not start till March and I was not entitled to my 199mb download till then. V disapointed, cancelled contract (cost me SR1,000). Bought STC chip, can text and phone but STC does not allow internet access, so now look for free WiFi access to use phone on web. V V V unhappy with phone and service
You need to set the access point for STC
Hi, guys mine i’ve bought it SR3900 3 months ago and i don’t regret it because it was a great phone. The only wrong i did was i updated it via itunes but apparently i unlocked it by my self and installed a lot of programs.
I went to the mobily store today and they told me that the iphones are locked.
Anyway, to answer iaminksa’s question, i have an iphone from the states and 3g works fine with STC.
I’ll post the settings if anyone needs them.
Thanks AIA, but according to Apple themselves:
http://www.saudimac.com/2009/03/01/official-from-apple-iphone-3g-in-saudi-arabia-is-unlocked/
The Mobily iPhone 3G is unlocked.
Not anymore! I had an iphone bought from mobily bought on 7th June, worked with any stc sim no problem, speakers were not working so had to take it back 10th June, got a replacement and it will not take stc sim. Took it to apple store and mobily told them that it is from a new batch and they are locking them now! What happens after my 6 month contract to them is up….will they unlock it for me!?
u can ulock iphone so easy by using cydia.. try to search at youtube.. it depends on what firmware u have..
so hopeless… fortunately, just gimme more details about your iphone maybe i can help you even to unlock it. be sure its baseband still not 5.11.07 and bootloader is 5.08 lower. feel free to ask me.. jackenpoy67@y.c. em in jeddah anyway…
the iphones are unlocked…so the best thing to do is get rid of the mobily sim and insert any other sim which is a lot better i guess……….. activating mobile internet is such a pain….. i need help on setting the internet…… so AIA could i please get the settings?
what company?
the carrier is mobily…. i tried activating it but its not working
i got iphone and i unlock and jailbreak it by myself so easy!!
its too simple buddy….. you even cannot get any answer from mobily customer services….
just go to settings, network, cellular data network and change the APN web1 to web2… then you can get internet access.. this is only for mobily sim.. gud luck
lets all complain to apple!
u cant really sue in this country OR boycot anything. nothing works. They just get away with their lies, NO customer service, arrogance and HIGH prices…..the HIGHEST in the WORLD!!!
GUYS,..U CAN UNCLOCKED IPHONE BY USING CYDIA… ITS SO EASY! EVEN MYSELF I CAN DO IT…
the Saudi iPhone is unlocked and is much cheaper than Australia 😉
the mobily salesman sold me the iPhone 3GS for SR2800 in cash then gave a box and said gift for you and SIM, later it transpired that it contained Mobily Raqi package , which I was not told nor knew about it, the guy did not speak much English and with my poor Arabic, I got cheated, now when I wanted to cancel the line, Mobily is asking for SR 3000. What do I do? I have sent many emails to customer service and have visited there office without any luck.
the saudi iphones r cheap from pakistan or not?