The official launch is on March 20, Maxis said in a statement yesterday. The long-awaited announcement came eight months after the first iPhone 3G was officially available in Asia, specifically in Hong Kong on July 11 last year in partnership with billionaire Li Ka-Shing's Hutchison Telecommunications Ltd.

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel), which began selling the iPhone 3G from Aug 22 last year, said in November that expenses related to the introduction of the phone reduced its second quarter (2Q) earnings by about S$27 million (RM64.9 million) in Singapore and A$44 million (RM105.2 million) in Australia.

In Malaysia, customers can pre-register themselves for the iPhone at Maxis's website, a Maxis centre or an authorised Apple reseller. Those who do so by March 17 will be invited for the official launch, according to Maxis's website.

To get an iPhone 3G (8GB) for free, one would need to commit to a RM375 monthly plan (i-Value 4) for 24 months. The 16GB version of the handset is priced at RM260 with that same contract commitment. The 8GB handset is available for RM1,080 for the same RM375 monthly commitment on a 12-month contract.

Those looking for a shorter contract period can opt for a RM80 monthly plan for six months and pay RM2,540 for the 8GB iPhone 3G and RM2,960 for the 16GB version. If you are willing to commit RM100 a month for 12 months, for instance, the 8GB version is priced at RM1,900.

"We are very pleased to launch iPhone 3G in Malaysia as many of our mobile users have been eagerly anticipating this revolutionary phone. Malaysians, including our Maxis customers, are among the highest Internet and data users in the world; and iPhone 3G will further enliven their mobile experiences with Maxis," Maxis's CEO Sandip Das said in a statement.

"We are making nearly RM1.6 billion of investments into our networks this year. Over the coming months we will continue a comprehensive upgrade and expansion programme that will further enhance coverage and performance, including our high-speed 3G data network," he added.

The second-generation iPhone 3G, available in over 70 countries including the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK, India, Macau, Singapore and Thailand, was first unveiled on June 10 last year by Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs in San Francisco.

Further details on the phone and packages can be found at www.maxis.com.my/iPhone.