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Apple is in talks with Iranian distributors that could see the iPhone being sold in the country should Western sanctions lift sufficiently, reports The Wall Street Journal. Senior Apple executives have reportedly met with Iranian distributors at its London headquarters to speak about potentially having Iranian retailers distribute Apple products as premium resellers.
In the conversations, the Cupertino, Calif., company explored the possibility of having Iranian partners sell Apple products at so-called premium resellers, three of the people said. Instead of company-operated Apple stores, such outlets would be midsize franchisees that sell Apple products only, —a model the company has used in Europe and Asia, the people said.

The contacts have involved over a dozen Apple employees, including technical and marketing professionals, the people said.
The United States has imposed sanctions that prevent companies from doing business with Iran, but in May, sanctions that prevented the sales of consumer communications equipment and software such as smartphones and laptops were lifted. The sanctions were removed in an effort to give Iranians a way to communicate on social media and through other channels to overcome communications restrictions enacted by Iranian authorities. This change potentially opens the door for sales of the iPhone and other Apple products in the country.

Apple is said to have consulted the U.S. Treasury's Office of Frozen Assets Control to ascertain how it could start operations in Iran and establish a relationship with Iran-based customers.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Iran may be seen as an attractive market to Apple as the country has a population of 77 million with 42 percent of people under the age of 25, along with a large middle class. There are obstacles that could make it difficult for Apple to sell iPhones in the country, however, including banking restrictions, locating mobile-service providers, and more.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple in Talks With Distributors to Sell iPhone in Iran
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,917
17,396
Iransofaraway

Image

Had too :)

Bloody hell.. now I have that damned song stuck in my head as well as that gawdawful hairdo of that guy working that single note on that Moog synth in the video!

Anywho, back on topic.. I can't say I'm surprised; I heard a great article on the young crowd and entrepreneurs seeking funding from investors for startups on NPR yesterday.. Not only was I surprised on how well they pitched their ideas, but their English comprehension and speech puts a lot of yanks to shame.

Here you go:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/...s-make-pitches-that-are-just-practice-for-now

Iranian Entrepreneurs Make Pitches That Are Just Practice, For Now
by Deborah Amos
October 25, 2014 1:58 PM ET

Imagine this: You have a great idea for an Internet startup. You're sure it will work. You are ready to be part of the global market. There's one big problem: You live in Iran, a country facing some of the most extensive financial sanctions imposed on any country in the world.

That was the challenge for a team of young Iranian entrepreneurs competing in the recent Startup Istanbul, where aspiring entrepreneurs got to pitch ideas to the founders of successful tech companies and venture capitalists at a conference in Turkey.

The Iranians came armed with hot business ideas and plenty of enthusiasm, their first time competing on an international stage.

"We are so glad that today we have teams who traveled from Tehran and they are going to pitch here," says Mohsen Malayeri, the 29-year-old founder of Avatech Accelerator who describes himself as a builder of startup communities in Iran.

'Startup Fever Is Everywhere'

Malayeri has organized more than a dozen startup weekends in nine Iranian cities for a generation excited about the prospects of a tech career in a country where 65 percent of the population is under 35 years old.

"The average (age) is like 23 to 25 usually, but we have people who are showing up, a 12-year-old guy with an idea, which is quite impressive," he says.

I meet Malayeri at Microsoft headquarters in Istanbul as the competition kicked off.

"Startup fever is everywhere," he says.

The HBO show Silicon Valley is now a big hit in Iran, where it can be downloaded from the Internet. The fever swept through the country two years ago and there are already multimillion-dollar startups generating jobs.

The Iranian teams came to Istanbul to learn international best practices to build on those successes.

"They are going to pitch, they are going to hear feedback from the mentors and investors," says Malayeri.

There's a Silicon Valley vibe in the basement of Microsoft headquarters in Istanbul, and the Iranians fit right in. At long wooden tables, the clatter of keyboards and the familiar pings of e*mail alerts is the background music in an open space where new ideas are shared over endless free coffee and competitive pingpong matches. The young crowd represents a new tech culture in the region.

Companies from Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are among the more than 100 Internet startups at the event. Women have founded some of the most successful ventures. The pitches to investors reflect the vision across the region to build Internet companies that streamline everything and create jobs.

No Way Around Sanctions

One of the most promising Iranian companies is a pioneer in e-commerce. Though it's new, Zarin Pal's market potential is huge: Iran has a population of 80 million. Established in 2010, it already has a customer base of 6 million, says Mostapha Amiri, a co-founder.

Amiri was making the pitches at the Istanbul event. Sotoodeh Adibi, another founding member, was going over last-minute details with him.

"It is going to become very popular year by year," she says of Zarin Pal, which is based on the same model as PayPal.

Amiri is obviously nervous as he faces the panel of mentors who will help him shape the pitch. He has never done this before in English.

The mentors include a venture capitalist from Silicon Valley and a couple of successful startup pioneers.

Amiri has 10 minutes to outline his proposal and describe the Iranian market. He explains there is a young, connected population with no access to international credit cards due to sanctions. However, debit cards linked to Iranian banks are extremely popular.

Zarin Pal has built these links into a successful Internet business for the domestic market and now wants to offer the service to the 5 million Iranians who live abroad, Amiri explains.

If the team came from any other place in the Middle East, Zarin Pal would be an obvious candidate for investment. But the financial sanctions are still firmly in place, and that means the doors are closed to the global market. The mentors are impressed with the business model, but when it comes to sanctions, there's nothing they can do, they say.

Despite the warm applause, the Iranian team leaves the mentor session deeply disappointed.

"We need their help to open the doors of our country," Amiri says.

Investments, Not Boycotts

They voice the frustration of many young Iranians, born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They are eager for change, for jobs and for a role in building Iran's future.

American Dave McClure, one of the mentors at the Istanbul event, wants to help.

"Instead of boycotting countries maybe we should be investing in their entrepreneurs," says McClure, a founding partner of 500 Startups, which backs promising Internet business in the region — although "not in Iran yet, it's still illegal."

McClure encourages investment to counter the region's gloomy news narrative.

"Young people without jobs is a problem, so, creating jobs is a way to fill that gap," he says.

McClure is convinced that regional investment is good for the U.S. "as a way to have a better foreign policy approach and probably increase national security." And he's willing to write a check to test it.

His latest venture is Geeks on a Plane, where he invites investors to travel to the region to finance the new tech culture. Tehran is on his wish list for next year.

He's a hero to Iranian entrepreneurs after a recent speech in Berkeley where he challenged wealthy Iranian-Americans to invest in Iran's tech culture rather than what he called expensive, "sexy sports cars." His speech went viral in Tehran.

Talking To Top Investors

On the closing day of the competition, the Iranian team was one of 14 companies the judges sent on to the finals. Amiri was on stage again in front of a panel of judges and a packed house. This is the pitch that counts.

"Hi, I'm Mostapha from Zarin Pal, we are the first Iranian e-wallet system," he begins in a bit of a shaky start.

He's honed the presentation over the four days of this event. He's learned to hit all the highlights. It's the first time an Iranian team has pitched in English.

Back home, the Iranian government still places restrictions on the Internet, banning access to Facebook and Twitter. But it is removing domestic barriers for these startup entrepreneurs. Many are encouraged by a government-backed increase in Internet speed and a mobile 3G connection now offered by two main operators in Iran.

Malayeri, Avatech Accelerator's founder and organizer of the trip, says the team has won just by coming to Istanbul.

"I'm not sure if there is any cash prize in place, but talking to top active investors is considered as a prize," he says, beaming.

As for the Zarin Pal team, their efforts were good enough to garner an honorable mention — the only one in the entire competition — and, more important, the attention of international investors. If the sanctions are lifted, these young Iranians want to be ready to jump quickly into the global market.

Right now, the only one preventing Apple from working with them, or these people working with us and participating in the global economy, is us and the UN, with the various sanctions in place. Now that Ahmedinajad is out of the way, things just may get better there.

BL.
 

vrDrew

macrumors 65816
Jan 31, 2010
1,376
13,412
Midlife, Midwest
It has been one of the tragedies of US foreign policy that we have been such bitter "enemies" with Iran since 1979. In many respects our currently bad relations with Iran are a sad hangover of the Cold War. We ended up backing the Shah, seeing him as a bulwark against Communism, at least as represented by Mohammad Mosaddegh, whom the CIA and Britain's MI6 helped overthrow thanks to his threats to nationalize Iran's oil industry.

In retrospect, Mosaddegh's brand of secular democracy was just what Iran needed to become a modern Islamic state, without the Theocratic tyranny represented by the Mullahs.

I know there are a lot of people hoping for Obama to fail vis-a-vis Iran; and certainly we need to proceed carefully. But 35 years of sanctions haven't done either Iran or the Us (or even Israel) much good. And they certainly haven't helped the Iranian people very much.
 

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
They need to sell iPhone in Cuba before Iran.

However, I thought that we had an embargo for US business in both countries.
 
Last edited:

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,775
10,837
Sure, give Iran another reason to stone women.

Future headlines will read:

Iranian women does Facetime. Found guilty and stoned to death.
 

justperry

macrumors G5
Aug 10, 2007
12,553
9,745
I'm a rolling stone.
Sure, give Iran another reason to stone women.

Future headlines will read:

Iranian women does Facetime. Found guilty and stoned to death.

As if the "People" want that, as I said in my last post, have you been there?

They are one of the nicest people in the world, it's just a handful of people who spoil it for the rest.

You know, politics and religion shouldn't be mixed!
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,917
17,396
Sure, give Iran another reason to stone women.

Future headlines will read:

Iranian women does Facetime. Found guilty and stoned to death.

They've shown variably more compassion with regards to the death penalty than people in the USA.

BL.
 

odedia

macrumors 65816
Nov 24, 2005
1,043
149
If you can sell in china you can sell in iran. They have a lot in common.

Well, China doesn't publicly call for the innehilation of another country which is a member in the United Nations. And they are not actively trying to fulfill on that promise. So there is that.
 

ricci

macrumors 6502
Aug 21, 2012
259
13
NYC
Awsome ! The more the marry! Those poeple are not living in the Stone Age and are tech savy! They would love the phone but just like China, the authority's will have a hard time with the explosion of Social media! Good luck Apple and hope this helps open communication wih the Iranian people !
 

Tiger8

macrumors 68020
May 23, 2011
2,479
649
Well, China doesn't publicly call for the innehilation of another country which is a member in the United Nations. And they are not actively trying to fulfill on that promise. So there is that.

What does that have to do with selling iPhone there?
 

carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
Can't believe the conservatives anywhere in the Middle East would allow smart phones, internet content, social media...it would be the beginning of the end for their influence, at least dictatorial influence.
 

RockSpider

macrumors 6502a
Sep 18, 2014
903
396
We hate iRan but if Apple goes there we love iRan. We hate Samsung, but if Apple buys their parts, we love Samsung.
 

zin

macrumors 6502
May 5, 2010
491
6,617
United Kingdom
Oh how quickly the sweet and colourful language from Apple about how they care about human rights and human life in general evaporates when money takes hold.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,775
10,837
As if the "People" want that, as I said in my last post, have you been there?

They are one of the nicest people in the world, it's just a handful of people who spoil it for the rest.

You know, politics and religion shouldn't be mixed!


This is not about the niceness of people. This is about FACTS!!!!
Seems to be legal and practiced in Iran. And it's mostly women who are stoned. They even give the men a chance to escape, not so with women.

604



They've shown variably more compassion with regards to the death penalty than people in the USA.

BL.

Go to a public stoning, then come back and tell me that.
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,917
17,396
This is not about the niceness of people. This is about FACTS!!!!
Seems to be legal and practiced in Iran. And it's mostly women who are stoned. They even give the men a chance to escape, not so with women.

Image




Go to a public stoning, then come back and tell me that.

I'll see you a stoning and raise you a hanging.

I will just leave this here.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1726587/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/slain-teens-parents-pick-redemption-not-revenge-iran-n83236

The mother of Balal, a convicted killer awaiting execution in the northern Iranian city of Nowshahr, pleads for forgiveness from the victim's family on Tuesday. NBC News was unable to verify details of the incident reported by British newspaper The Guardian and Iran's semi-official news service Isna.

ss-140417-iran-gallows-05.nbcnews-ux-1360-900.jpg


Balal, who reportedly stabbed-to-death 18-year-old Abdolah Hosseinzadeh in a street fight in 2007, is led to the gallows to be executed on Tuesday

ss-140417-iran-gallows-01.nbcnews-ux-1360-900.jpg


Abdolah Hosseinzadeh’s mothers slaps Balal, who was convicted of her son's murder in the northern city of Nowshahr on Tuesday. In Iran, a victim's family is able to participate in hangings by pushing aside the chair the convicted stands on. In this case, Hosseinzadeh's parents removed the noose from Balal's neck and spared his life, The Guardian reported.

ss-140417-iran-gallows-07.nbcnews-ux-1360-900.jpg


Abdolah Hosseinzadeh’s parents remove the noose from the neck of convicted murderer Balal, according to semi-official news service Isna and The Guardian newspaper.

ss-140417-iran-gallows-06.nbcnews-ux-1080-800.jpg


Samereh Alinejad cries after sparing the life of her son's convicted murderer.

ss-140417-iran-gallows-03.nbcnews-ux-1080-800.jpg


The mother of Balal (L), who was convicted of murdering Abdolah Hosseinzadeh in a street fight in 2007, cries with Hosseinzadeh's mother.

ss-140417-iran-gallows-08.nbcnews-ux-1080-800.jpg

Note how even the security guard there spares a tear for what Alinejad did.

You know it is sad when we have people in Iran who show more compassion for the convicted than we do in the US. Some people need to take a good long hard look at themselves in the mirror.

BL.

And note that I said "variably".

BL.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,775
10,837
bradl said:
You know it is sad when we have people in Iran who show more compassion for the convicted than we do in the US. Some people need to take a good long hard look at themselves in the mirror.

If America death sentences were done publicly too, you would see that. ;)
 
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