" (Paczkowski, p. 1) This is possible because Merril Lynch will pay a subsidy of an additional 1200 shekels per handset in order to help initiate penetration of telecom service plans. In Saudi Arabia, iPhones start at roughly SAR 3499, a staggering $933. Place

As the price differentials show, Apple must make considerable adaptations according to that which each market will bear. That being said, Israel has already proven itself a promising site for fast expansion. According to Paczkowski (2009), "though Apple hasn't yet brought the iPhone to Israel, it's estimated that some 80,000 of them are in use in the country today. That's a remarkable metric and one that suggests Apple's super-smart phone should do quite well when it officially arrives at market in Israel this week." (Paczkowski, p. 1)

Reports suggest that Egypt's market will not be as inherently welcoming of the product. According to Inskeep (2012), competitors such as Nokia have already make a considerable imprint in Egypt and throughout Africa. Today, "the market is now starting to see a replacement cycle - although Nokia, LG and Samsung will be better placed to take advantage of that than Apple, according to Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight." (Inskeep, p. 1)

Saudi Arabia's technophile population and a cultural proclivity toward interest in western products have underscore projections that this is a context also for fast expansion and cultural penetration.

Promotion

With respect to promotion, Apple's Israel strategy has centered on its contractual relationship with the top carriers in the market, a position which Apple projects...

(Paczkowski, p. 1) With respect to Egypt, product shortages have actually marked an opportunity for Apple. In spite of some complaints over the nature of the product and the limitations applied in Egypt such as the government restriction on GPS functions, the product is frequently on back order in Egypt. This has stoked interest. However, in Egypt and Saudi Arabia alike, one significant hurdle must be overcome with respect to the promotion of Apple's related service package. According to Farivar (2009), "iPhone's support for Arabic, the official language of both countries, remains practically non-existent." (Farivar, p. 1)
Conclusion:

In spite of these variances impacting the marketing mix for each of the above-noted countries, Apple's ability to adapt with the unrolling of future models and service plans suggests that the product will achieve a level of success in each context commensurate to its global performance.

Works Cited:

comScore. (2012). omScore Reports December 2011 U.S Mobile Subscriber Market Share. comScore.com.

Farivar, C. (2009). iPhone Coming to United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. MacWorld.

Inskeep, S. (2012). And Now for the Lighter Side of Egypt's Revolution. NWPR.org.

Kee, E. (2011). Saudi Arabia bans iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Tab at security institutions. Ubergizmo.

Paczkowski, J. (2009). OyPhone: Apple's iPhone Lands in Israel Wednesday. All Things D.

Ricknas, M. (2008). Apple's iPhone may struggle in…