Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds

Jamaica has been mentioned in an Apple Press release for the Apple iPhone 4S, which is coming to our faire isle Jamaica as well as other Caribbean islands – and the People’s Republic of China as stated in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4S Officially Invades Caribbean on January 13”.  A really big deal for an island of our size to be even mentioned in an Apple Press Release!!

At this point it’s good to point out that Kelroy, admin for the Geezam blog, was one of the first in the tech Blogging world to mention the coming of the Apple iPhone 4 to Jamaica on Telecom Provider LIME Network at LIME’s Happy Hour at their Corporate Headquarters July 14^th 2012AD in the Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4 lands in Jamaica on June 14th courtesy of LIME”. For those who favour more official news, the Apple Press Release is here: “iPhone 4S Arrives in China on January 13”, published 4 January 2012, Apple Press Release.

Looks like the Apple iPhone 4S which made its debut on Tuesday October 4^th 2011AD with Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 4S on Friday October 7^th 2011AD and the rabid line standing on Friday October 14^th 2011AD, as reported in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” is now in Jamaica under the aegis of Telecom Provider LIME yet again.

Kelroy’s article is a crib of the Apple Press Release mentions it thus, quote: “Beginning Friday, January 13, iPhone 4S will be available in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guam, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and Uganda.”. No mention of Telecom Provider LIME, so off to Google I went a-searching!

Telecom Provider LIME it appears, will be carrying the Apple iPhone 4S, albeit they are yet to make a Public Announcement in any of our local Daily Newspapers. Oddly enough, there is a placement on their website mentioning the fact that the Apple iPhone 4S is indeed coming to Jamaica as per the article “LIME Apple iPhone 4S Available January 13”, viewed January 11 2012, Time4Lime.

It also received cursory treatment in the Dominica News Online in the article “Apple to release iPhone 4s in Dominica next week”, published Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 12:04 PM, Dominica News Online. Again no official statement from Telecom Provider LIME, making you realize that they are not quite feeling the “magic” of the Apple iPhone 4S.

Back then, the previous launch of the Apple iPhone 4 on Tuesday June 14^th 2011AD was well publicized and ended up getting the full Press Court analysis in my blog article entitled “LIME and the Apple iPhone 4 - The Young and the Restless Gone in Sixty Seconds”.

Apparently the low key response to the splash made by Telecom Provider LIME for the smartphone that defined smartphones despite the Media Personalities and Dancehall Artiste on hand recorded in Happy Hour faces in Geezam blog article entitled “Photos: LIME Jamaica iPhone 4 Launch and hAPPy Hour has dampened Telecom Provider LIME’s pocket books as well as their demeanour.

Jamaicans it seems are not so interested in having smartphones, despite the competitive pricing arguments for Wireless 3G Data as noted in Ryan’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME, The iPhone 4 And The Death Of The Blackberry”, as the Blackberry is still king here.

Cheaper parts to service problems which are few and far between with the phone that is not a true smartphone but has stellar hardware as note in my Geezam blog article entitled “Android smartphones may be king in 2015AD, but RIM Blackberry quality shines” make the Blackberry No. 1 in Jamaica, despite RIM (Research in Motion) facing problems worldwide with declining sales and the popularity of Google Android smartphones, also marketed heavily by Telecom Provider LIME.

Until the issue of cheaper parts to repair smartphones is addressed, best solved via partnerships between Smartphone instrument suppliers, Telecom Provider LIME and local Mobile Phone repair people (I call them “phone unlockers”) and Apple’s iMessage platform partners with RIM Blackberry Messenger to standardize Cross-Platform messaging a reality as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging”  the Apple iPhone will still be seen as an expensive alternative to the Blackberry.

The Apple iPhone does indeed also shine in terms of its hardware durability as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life” the lower cost for spare parts to repair such a large cracked screen, coupled with the exclusivity of the repairs world as it relates to Apple products in general (ever tried fixing a MacBook hardware yourself?) helps to scare off most Jamaicans from taking a bite of the Apple.

But all may not be lost for the Apple iPhone 4S and the Android smartphone clan being successful in Jamaica.

Wi-Fi dongles on offer from both Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME as noted in Shonari’s Geezam blog article entitled “MiFi Hits Cayman thanks to Digicel and LIME” and Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME to offer Personal Mobile Internet Hot-spot – MiFi” make those shy of Data Plans and loving the video Streaming on a Apple iPhone 4 more inclined towards purchasing one. 

This a follow-on of Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel’s Jamaican and Caribbean wide upgrade of their respective Wireless Broadband Networks to HSDPA+ Release 7 as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” and  “Digicel's US$85 million HSDPA+ and WiMax 4G Upgrade - Wizards of Waverly Place Fast Five Showdown”.

Also, thanks to the guinea pig testing of FTTH (Fiber To the House) in the upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine, Telecom Provider LIME may have to market any additional ADSL capacity not taken up via subscribers to the LIME Flip Top Promotion as backhaul for Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and shopping malls and plazas in what could be appropriately named Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as described in my blog article entitled “Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi ”

Throw in the main attraction of the Apple iPhone, that being apps in all their glory, would now be available to Jamaicans as not only are a lot of apps free and easy to find thanks to the trusty guide as noted in the Geezam blog article entitled ‘Defying The Apple Gods: Jamaica and The App Store”.

Scotia Bank’s latest product Visa Debit Cards that can both send and receive cash means that paid app purchases are now possible as per the article “Scotia replacing bank card with Visa debit”, published Sunday  September 18, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner make the Apple iPhone even more attractive.

With Visa Debit Cards popularity on the rise as noted in the spike in its uptake primarily for online purchases article “Scotia Visa spurs debit card usage online”, published Sunday January 8, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner, the Apple iPhone 4S is poised for a renaissance on Friday January 13^th 2012AD, as this unlucky number may be prove to be the start of as very lucky year for the Apple iPhone 4S in Jamaica.

Jamaicans will get to experience the Best of Both Worlds, Siri Voice Assistant and all, just in time for the Apple iPhone 4GS…..not the Apple iPhone 5 as I had prognosticate in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major”.

This in another article to be continued…….as Friday January 13^th 2012AD approaches!!!