America Movil Takes iPhone to Latin America

America Movil has announced a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to more than a dozen Latin American countries later this year.

In another market expansion for the Apple iPhone, América Móvil has announced (PDF) it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to its Latin American markets later in 2008. Like Vodafone’s announcement earlier this week that it would be bringing the iPhone to a swath of new European markets, the release contains no other information, including the financial terms of the deal or whether America Movil will have an exclusive lock on the iPhone in those markets.

América Móvil is controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Sim, and claims almost 160 million subscribers in 16 countries, including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Columbia, and Mexico.

The deal mark’s Apple’s fourth international distribution deal for the iPhone in recent weeks; in addition to the Vodafone deal in Europe, it has also announced a separate arrangement with Telecom Italia and Canada’s Rogers Communications. The new distribution deals could be important for the future of Apple’s iPhone product as it moves the line forward; however, the company’s chances of capturing early adopters may be blunted by tech aficionados in those countries already having purchased iPhones through other channels and unlocked them for use on regional GSM networks.

So far, Apple has sold about 5.5 million iPhones; the company has a goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. A new 3G version of the iPhone is expected in North American markets—and possibly overseas—by mid-year.