Apple Iphone, everywhere but Puerto Rico - 7.11.2007.1

Yesterday I received some interesting news. There has been a ton of news on the Iphone, the media has covered the lines awaiting its sale and people breaking them open. The lack of service, the cost to use the Iphone. Yes there has been a huge amount of news about Apple’s new little device.

One thing that seems to have slipped by the news media is that if you live in Puerto Rico, you can’t buy one. Yes, in Puerto Rico you cannot buy an Iphone. When I was told this I was surprised. I had to check it out for myself.


I spent quite a bit of time on this. Cingular verified that the frequency the Iphone uses is the same as mainland America. Though the rates would probably be roaming for many, but Cingular does cover PR. The international department for AT&T verified that several people have used Iphones in Puerto Rico. At that point I was questioning if my source was correct.

Then I spoke with Apple. While I could not get a comment, I did verify that it is not possible to buy the Iphone in P.R., and I have been told it will not be shipped there. I would like to say this was completely confirmed, but as of this post I still have not heard back from the public relations department of Apple.

So why is this not available? From what I have been told from sources outside of Apple, Puerto Rico is not recognized as part of the United States by Apple. This does not affect the other products that Apple sells in Puerto Rico, just the Iphone. For some reason the area codes for Puerto Rico, 787 and 939, will not be accepted by the product. The Cingular service is seamless with P.R. and mainland America

So the team developing the Iphone either ignored Puerto Rico, don’t recognize it as part of America, or didn’t want to include it. None of these answers is a positive thing. If the people responsible for the Iphone ignored, either through innocence or need for deadlines, the existence of Puerto Ricans I’m upset. 4 million citizens of America deserve to be remembered. At the very least Apple has excluded a target market. Moreso I think they have insulted millions of Americans who work, live and die for America the same as any other individual in Michigan, or Ohio, or New York.

If those at Apple that are responsible don’t recognize P.R. as part of America, then I would have to think they are some of the brightest dumb people I have heard of. This is basic geography. It’s basic American history. It’s so prevalent and obvious a fact as to be taken for granted, which millions in the nation do every day.

Perhaps most troubling is if they didn’t want to include the commonwealth of America, the leading economy of the Caribbean, citizens by birth entitled to all rights the same as any other American. I don’t understand the reasoning. The GDP of Puerto Rico is $74 billion, there have been Puerto Ricans fighting in virtually every war America has had, and still do today. Is there some reason why I as a former Marine, a United States citizen, a productive businessman and positively contributing member of this society cannot buy their Iphone product in P.R.?

I don’t think that when my father volunteered for Viet Nam, where he was injured and lived the rest of his life afflicted with Agent Orange and other issues, he wanted to allow a company to imply that he was meaningless or worthless. Such is the implication I draw from the exclusion Apple has made.

Perhaps I am overreacting. I imagine that this is not what most in Apple believe. But considering I have yet to hear a response from the company, and I have heard that this is what is going on, and confirmed that the only cause would be from actions by Apple, well I’m left to think that some must have that thought.

Of all the freedoms that I and my family have at different times joined the military for, this is not one of them. I really would love to hear Apple’s response on this.

This is what I think, what do you think?