Smart, Globe to offer iPhone 5

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications, Inc., and Globe Telecom, Inc. will offer Apple’s iPhone 5 for their postpaid plans.

In a text message yesterday, Ramon Isberto, Smart public affairs head said reservations could now be made for the iPhone 5 through the firm’s website.

“On Dec. 7, you can go to Smart Stores and pre-order, select your plan and pre-pay,” he said.

The smartphones, he added, would be available on Dec. 14.

Yolanda Crisanto, Globe corporate communications head likewise confirmed in a text message yesterday, “Globe will carry” the iPhone 5.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 5 can be placed through Globe’s website.

Apple announced the other day that the iPhone5 would be available in South Korea on Dec. 7 and in other countries including the Philippines on Dec. 14.

Apart from the Philippines, the new smartphones would be made available on Dec. 14 in Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

On Dec. 21, the iPhone 5 would also be available in Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.

iPhone 5 is currently available in 47 countries around the world including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK.

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, which Apple claims is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with over 200 new features including Shared Photo Streams, Facebook integration, the all-new Maps app and Passbook®, and even more Siri® features and languages.

Smart and Globe also offer Apple’s iPhone 4S which was launched last year.