Other than US, the iPhone 3G will be released in the following countries on July 11th:

Including the US, there are a total of 22 countries.

Looks like dropping the revenue-sharing model has proven the right move for Apple.

China Mobile is China largest mobile carrier with a customer base of over 380 millions. Previously, Apple was not able to seal a deal with China Mobile mainly because CM refuse to agree to the revenue-sharing model.

With that policy out of the way, Apple has at least won half the battle of entering the China mobile market. Industry watchers are saying the deal will probably not materialize until 2009 but Steve Jobs seems optimistic that he can bring iPhone into the China markets sooner than expected.

Know what is a Hiphone? It is the clone version of the iPhone and made in China. For a clone, it certainly is an impressive piece of work. It has a lot of the features found in an original iPhone, looks almost like the real stuff and yet cost only a fraction.

But with the upcoming launch of iPhone 3G, the Hiphone may have to bite the dust. Unless it can reinvent itself to match iPhone 3G features at a lower price. With iPhone 3G price starting from at US$199, the profit margins for Hiphone manufacturers will be eroded and many consumers may want to buy the real stuff instead.

However, the Hiphone has one distinct advantage over iPhone. It is unlocked! This means that you can use it with any telco you choose right out of the box without go through the hassle of a ‘unlocking’ process.

Here is a short video on what the Hiphone can do: