iPhone 3G coming to India on 22 August – Cost and some details
For all you phone enthusiasts out there, the iPhone 3G from Apple is hitting Indian Market on 22nd Aug 2008. It is brought to India exclusively by Airtel and Vodaphone.
iPhone promises to intrigue consumers with a multitude amount of features some of which are not to be found on other mobile phones out there. All of these are backed by Apple’s cutting edge design and innovation. But is it really worth the hype? Read on….
Well for starters the iPhone is a touchscreen multimedia phone which gives the same or even better music experience like the famous iPod which revolutionized the music player industry. Also thrown in are features such as a touch screen, Wifi, 3G, a camera ,GPS and ofcourse your mobile phone.
So how does it really add up? To begin with lets analyze the cost.
In India sources claim that the 8GB model is going to cost Rs. 31,000 ! This amounts to $700 (approximately)
The same model in the US (with a 2 year contract) comes to only $199 !!
The 16GB model costs Rs. 36,000 ! This is approximately $820 while the same model in the US costs only $300 (with a 2 year contract).
For these prices the phone better not be network locked! (for those who are not aware of this term, it means that you cannot buy the phone from Airtel and put in your BSNL SIM CARD into it!)
We do not know yet if Airtel/Vodafone would have some kind of a contract to bring the prices down but then again it would be more expensive as you would have to pay some special fee for a special plan. But knowing the Indian market we do not think that the operators would really launch a contract model.
The phone is touted to even exlude a wall mount charger in its pack! Yes you read it right. All these have to purchased separately. (To be confirmed)
Yet another feature which we think is highly talked about but would not be powerful enough is GPS (Global positioning satellite). This has the ability to guide you to your destination. But we do not know if Apple has the application bundled with the iPhone. Other phone manufacturers charge a specific fee for the same.
Coming to 3G itself – There is no clear route to 3G yet in India. The spectrum is yet to be fully licensed and opertional. Even if it does become operational, we estimate that the prices would be pretty high for data transfer. Well that is what 3G would be really better at compared to current standards such as GPRS and EDGE.
So ask yourself – is it really worth buying a gadget for 30,000+ rupees when most of its features would never be properly exercised in India.
For 30,000 rupees you could get a decent mobile phone for about 10,000 rupees and spend the remaining buying some gadget for your home such as a washing machine or a refrigerator !
Let us know what really drives you to buy an Apple iPhone.
Read this too :
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/03/iphone-review/
http://www.appleiphonereview.com/
Short URL: http://aavaas.com/?p=1180
Posted by Vivek
on Aug 20 2008 Filed under Mobile Phone.
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This Information i got it from a friend, If anything is not correct then please correct…
… Those of you in India planning for iPhone… THINK TWICE BEFORE MAKING A DECISION… The short comings of iPhone are endless…
Most of the features that we take for granted in our usual phones are absent in the iPhone.
People are just blinded by the superb good looks of the phone. Believe me, once the initial euphoria over its good looks gets over, it will start irritating you.
(And wait till you hear the price..!)
How? Just see what and all is NOT possible with the iPhone
No AD2P on the Bluetooth, Means:
CAN’T share ANY (mp3, images, videos….) files via Bluetooth,
Can’t use your mp3 files as ringtones, (This is heights man!!!)
Cannot insert any other SIM card….(May be we need to Unlock it again)
Can’t use as a wireless modem, (you pay ridiculous data charges to activate internet on your phone, but cannot connect it to your PC and browse when you are at home)
No copy and paste, (cannot copy a part of a…. say…. email & send it…. have to type it out yourself)
No 3.2 or 5 megapixel camera, (the 2MP comes in normal phones also)
No video recording with camera,
No front camera,
No flash.
No JAVA support (No games, Apps)
No physical keyboard (BELIEVE me! this alone is a deal breaker… touch keyboard is only as good as it looks… once you use it then only you come to know about the importance of having a hard keypad)
No 3G network yet in India
this is from airtel’s site:
Q: What are the different models available for iPhone 3G?
There are 3 models which are available: a) 8 GB in Black Color b) 16 GB in White Color c) 16GB in White Color.
Q: What is the price of iPhone?
8 GB (Black) for Rs 31000
16GB (White & Black) for Rs 36100
Q: Is the Handset locked to Airtel Network?
Phone3G from Airtel is locked to Airtel network.
Q: Is iPhone 3G from Airtel is locked with Airtel?
Yes,iPhone 3G on Airtel is locked to Airtel and will work ONLY WITH ACTIVATED AIRTEL SIM CARD.
Q: How long will it take to buy iPhone?
There may be rush at the stores at launch, hence you may expect some delays at the stores. Request you to
please bear with us in case of rush. Our relationship executive will activate and tether the handset before the
handover the same to you.
Q: What is tethering?
Every iPhone 3G needs “tethering” before one can start using the handset. The handset is connected to PC
through USB and connects to iTunes. The PC needs to be connected through internet.The process takes around 3-5
minutes depending upon the internet connectivity of the PC.
To the first Anonymous commenter:
Stereo Bluetooth will be supported. The hardware is there. It has to be enabled.
The data plan costs the same irrespective of the device.
Sharing mp3s and movies is illegal. In any case there are apps that enable your iPhone to be a wireless flash drive.
You want video calling but no data plan. What sense does that make?
There is a successful proof of concept for copy and paste. Besides, how many phones support this?
If windows mobile phones are tied to activesync, why can’t iPhone be tied to iTunes?
Granted the camera can be of better quality.
Why care about mms when u can send email?
By chaneling everything through iTunes, apple is ensuring integrity and security.
No doubt there is room for improvement, but tell me which phone has it all?
Finally, you have got to be FREAKING KIDDING by calling the iPhone a stone age device.
And FYI, Apple must be doing something right. They are now worth more than Google.
I have two words to answer your question regarding what will potentially drive users to buy the iPhone: App Store!
Arguably Apple has always developed the best software in terms of both stability and usability. Bring both to a mobile platform and provide a convenient and powerful API for 3rd parties to develop against and you potentially have (hands down) the #1 combined phone/mp3 player/game console/multimedia device for the next 10 years. iPhone may potentially become what the iPod has been in the digital music community since 2001. How many of you own or know a friend who owns a Zune? Wait! You may not want to answer that.
Just this evening on my commute home from work, I sat on the train next to a person with an iPhone. In the seat in front of us was a second person with an iPhone. Both were playing a virtual card game against each other. The app was slick, responsive, and certainly had a wow factor from where I was sitting and noticeably both people seemed to have fun. How many Blackberry users or smartphone users in general have you seen having “fun” playing Solitaire on their phones? Again, no need to answer that!
Now, I’m not saying that Apple is going to get anywhere near the market share that they possess in the iPod space (I’ve read figures as high 87%, but most seem to believe it is now in the 70-75% range). Nor am I saying that the iPhone will replace today’s most popular mobile business tool, the Blackberry. I do firmly believe that Apple is in a unique position with their hardware and their strategic platform to really “knock the ball out of the park” and deliver the “product of the decade”.
I will not even try to argue the merits of whether this is the right product for a specific market. Clearly, I believe it’s not from what I read on this site as well as others regarding the introduction of the iPhone to India. I really can’t see the two providers selling a lot of these devices in India based on the pricing structure, contract requirements, and infrastructure limitations. But, I will say this… A lot of what I’ve read in terms of the products disadvantages and its inability is really nitpicking in my opinion. Name any product and people will find issues with it whether it is a physical characteristic, firmware related, or specific to the user interface. It goes without saying that one’s issue with a product is another person’s blessing. The lack of a keyboard for some is a problem; for me, I don’t ever anticipate buying another phone that has an exposed, physical keyboard.
Remember any product will have its limitations. The key is to design and develop a product that has more benefits and advantages and is on an aggressive path at always making improvements. I believe that Apple and the iPhone 3G is on that track and only wish the phone carriers (or characters) in India wise up.
The Price is too high. I have written about that in my blog too!
@ aditya
“Sharing mp3s and movies is illegal. In any case there are apps that enable your iPhone to be a wireless flash drive.”
I agree. But what if you want to share pictures taken using your camera on the phone?
“There is a successful proof of concept for copy and paste. Besides, how many phones support this?”
My basic nokia 6131 supports this !
“If windows mobile phones are tied to activesync, why can’t iPhone be tied to iTunes?”
not everyone has to use activesync. But anyone wishing to use iphone HAS to use itunes. But its apple’s way of checking for piracy. So I am not complaining.
“Why care about mms when u can send email?”
I agree with your rational. MMS never really succeded SMS as the next best thing. But emails over EDGE or GPRS suck. 3G would have been a lot better. Or if you are lucky enough the wifi network could be better.
In all fairness to the oomph factor – iPhone in India is still FREAKING expensive. And its a joke that it is network locked for this high a price.
@ John
wonderful comment. Wonder who that poor soul owning the Zune player is
I have already read the reviews of iphone at AlaTest ( http://alatest.com/cellular-phones/apple-iphone-3g/reviews/po2-58976944,8/ ) and have to say that it is really awesome cell phone! Very cool that I’m not the owner of iphone (lol, I use Nokia N-Gage QD). So now I have the reason to buy iPhone!
Hi,
Lot and lot of people are cursing themselves not to having that of much amount and missing their desire to have iphone. Seriously price is really high, but recently came to know that Airtel has tied up with banks to provide iphone with easy EMI option. It can be checked at:
http://www.airtel.in/iphone3g
Rajesh
Great, great post. Do you think you could do reviews on iPod applications? I think it would be amazing
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