Unlocked Apple iPhone 3G S for India in April

The device will be available for one-year lock-in

Bhaskar Hazarika

For the first time an official, unlocked iPhone will be available in India. By midApril, Apple will launch the iPhone 3G S in India, more than 10 months after its global launch reports Bhaskar Hazarika in New Delhi.

The high-end handset will be sold in the open market, not necessarily only through Apple stores or telecom operators.

However, there is another lock-in condition  a buyer of the new model cannot change the operator for one year. The handset will get automatically locked if the SIM card is changed during the period.

The open-market sale indicates Apple has learnt its lessons in India, which gave a lukewarm response to the iPhone 3G launched in August 2008. A person close to the development told Financial Chronicle that the model, locked and tied to specific telecom operators, gave little Indian business to Apple. Hence, the change in strategy.

According to market estimates Apple has sold at the most 30,000 iPhone 3G handsets through Airtel and Vodafone in India. No data from Apple were available.

However, the iPhone 3G S, launched globally in June last year, is already available in the Indian grey market.

The industry estimates that Indian grey market sales of iPhone 3G and 3G S could be between 80,000 and 1,00,000 handsets.

Among operators Airtel and Vodafone will offer the new model. But Apple is also in talks with other operators. With India readying for 3G services, it makes sense for Apple to dovetail its marketing strategy to the needs of the Indian market. An email sent across to Apple failed to elicit any response.

Last week Bharti Airtel in an official statement said the iPhone 3GS would be launched in India in "the coming months". It did not specify any date.

The iPhone 3G S is sold globally in two models: 16GB and 32GB. On the AT&T network in the US the 16GB model is available for $199 (about Rs 9,950) and 32GB for $299 (Rs 14,950) on a bundle offer with a two-year lock-in.

Compared to the earlier iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3G S is faster and with longer battery life. It supports speed of 7.2 mbps and has a 3 megapixel auto-focus camera.

© Financial Chronicle

Vices of Apple iPhone 3G

9 other reasons not to buy iPhone

Bhaskar Hazarika

New Delhi, Aug 21 2008

Forget the hype over iPhone. On a reality check, here are nine other reasons why it may not be worth buying.

1) Some who have used the contraband iPhone say it is too delicate and not user friendly.

2) Has only a two-megapixel camera without flash or zoom. Cheaper options have better cameras

3) SIM card is locked with Airtel or Vodafone for life. You are stuck with it even if their services are unsatisfactory.

4) India is still on 2G, and the handset sold is 3G. So data download on internet will be at a dead pace.

5) Touch-screen can be problematic if you are a messaging maniac. Mind you, there is only a virtual keyboard which is difficult to use.

6) Doesn’t allow “bluejacking”. So no downloading of songs “bluetoothed” from other handsets. Bluetooth links work only with other iPhones.

7) Apple forgot to include the cut- and- paste application. Wonder how it skipped this feature.

8) For all MMS practitioners, iPhone is a no go. It will not allow you to have this pleasure.

9) Battery replacement is a pain. You have to send it over to an Apple service centre for to get it replaced.

© Financial Chronicle