VietNamNet Bridge – FPT, VinaPhone and Viettel have all said they would be the authorized distributors of iPhone products. Meanwhile, sources said FPT would be the exclusive distributor of the Apple’s products. The contradictory information is just the tip of the implicit cutthroat competition among the mobile phone retailers in Vietnam.

The race for the right to distribute iPhones in Vietnam has become more strained when FPT, the Vietnamese biggest technology group, decided to jump on the bandwagon.

No official information about the FPT’s marketing admission, but sources said FPT’s capability is powerful enough to “re-draw the iPhone distribution market in Vietnam”.

The name FPT has appeared continuously on all local newspapers these days. On April 16, the HCM City Stock Exchange sent a dispatch to FPT, asking it to clarify the information.

A senior executive of FPT said the information was not officially released by the group. He simply said that FPT would make official announcement once the two sides (meaning FPT and Apple) reach an agreement on the issue.

Meanwhile, Ngo Quoc Bao, Director of FPT Retail, has denied the information that FPT would be the exclusive distributor of iPhones in Vietnam.

The rumor has also petrified VinaPhone and Viettel, which said that they have signed the contracts with Apple on distributing iPhone products.

As such, it is more likely that FPT would become the third distributor of iPhone products in Vietnam.

FPT, while having denied the news that it would act as the exclusive distributor, still has left the question if it would obtain the right to distribute iPhones unanswered.

A mobile phone retailer has revealed that he has signed a contract with FPT on the distribution of a consignment of iPhones. However, he said, the number of products is limited, because FPT, to some extend, would prioritize its FShop chain.

The iPhone’s with the stamps of the distributor – FPT – have reached to retail shops, while the training courses for the sale of the products have been provided in a large scale by Apple, according to the retailer.

The thing that FPT needs to do now is to choose prestigious retailers. Mai Nguyen, The Gioi Di Dong, Vien Thong A, Nguyen Kim and FPT will surely sell FPT-distributed iPhone products.

In general, Apple usually distributes iPhones through mobile network operators. In Vietnam, VinaPhone and Viettel, two of the 3 biggest network operators have been distributing iPhone since 2010. Meanwhile, FPT and iCenter have been selling iPhones sourced from the two network operators.

Experts have noted that in Vietnam, users do not have the habit of buying mobile phones integrated with telecommunication service packages like in other countries.

Both VinaPhone and Viettel are mobile network operators, not the distributors. Therefore, they have met some difficulties in distributing the products. This explains why most of the iPhones available in Vietnam so far are from unofficial sources.

The high demand from the Vietnamese users and the boisterous market has prompted Vietnamese enterprises to run the race to obtain the right to distribute iPhones in the country.

In late 2012, BrighStar also got the right to distribute iPhones. However, BrighStar could only distribute iPhone 3GS. Meanwhile, iPhone 4S were welcomed more warmly. To date, the company still has not got any new distribution contract with Apple.

Doanh Nhan