Apple partners finally granted access to iPhone

APRs hail deal that will see them finally get their mitts on Apple's smartphone device

Apple Premium Resellers (APRs) will finally be able to offer iPhones in their stores thanks to a tie-up between mobile network provider 3 and distributor Micro-P.

Much to their chagrin, APRs had previously been frozen out of the lucrative iPhone market due to the perception that it is a telco device.

That is all set to change as Micro-P prepares to begin shipping iPhone 4Ss with 3 contracts to the UK APR community from next week, ChannelWeb can reveal.

Micro-P will act as the "glue" between the network provider and the APR by managing the bad debt and finance. It will also pay the APRs a guaranteed commission.

Simon Woodman, sales director at Micro-P Mobile, told ChannelWeb: "IT and Apple resellers are not used to the traditional mobile model of giving away a £400 to £500 device and recovering the cost over the duration of the contract.

"We have created a very simple solution for the APRs to offer iPhones on a 3 contract with no risk whatsoever."

Woodman said Micro-P's system – which will go live on Monday – can scale to up to thousands of shipments a day if the demand is there.

"The APRs told us they are being asked for iPhones five or six times a day," Woodman said. "This scheme only offers the iPhone on 3 but that is Apple's network of the year and 3 does have the most competitive tariff, so the APRs should be able to convert quite a few of these prospects."

Eight APRs have already signed up to participate in the scheme, Woodman said.

One APR – who would only talk anonymously – said this will be the first time APRs have had access to iPhones for two and a half years, when a similar scheme running with O2 failed to get off the ground.

"It will be great to finally not have to say no when a customer asks us for an iPhone," he said.

Woodman said the scheme will begin shipping with the iPhone 4S – which is about 95 per cent of the market by volume – but that Micro-P will eventually be able to offer all models. A variety of tariffs from 3 will be available.

"We need to market this through the APRs, get their feedback on what is working and what is not, and tweak it accordingly," concluded Woodman.