Apple iPhone India Rollout To Be World’s Largest

[BBThumbHealer]

Source :: http://www.hindustantimes.com

The rollout of Apple, Inc’s iPhones in India is set to be the largest, anywhere in the world. It is understood from industry sources that Apple’s iPhones will be sold through about 2.5 lakh Vodafone and Airtel retail outlets including franchisee owned shops.
This rollout would be mammoth when compared to iPhones being available only in about 7000 AT&T outlets in the US apart from the Apple Stores.
“Most phone makers want their products in as many stores as possible and Apple is changing its strategy from exclusivity to wider availability,” said an analyst from a brokerage house who did not wish to be named.
Airtel announced yesterday that they would be selling iPhones in India. Earlier Vodafone inked a deal last week to rollout iPhones in 10 countries including India.
Additionally, Apple will be selling iPhones through its own outlets, which are very few in number. Industry observers say that the distribution network would cover all metros and leading tier II towns. When contacted Airtel spokespeople said that they are working on the distribution strategy and cannot comment on that at present. Vodafone officials did not respond to emails seeking details of the roll-out.
However, people involved with the distribution indicated that the iPhone, priced at Rs 23000 will be targetted at ‘high-end’ mobile phone users whose monthly bills exceed of Rs 1000. They said agreements with franchisees would also be worked out. It is another first in India – franchisees do not sell iPhones in USA.
Bharti is working out plans on bundling iPhones along with its broadband through its Telemedia services department that currently has 794,000 broadband customers as on March this year. India currently has 37 million Internet users, according to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

[x3060]

well 23,000/- seems to be a reasonable price...

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by x3060

well 23,000/- seems to be a reasonable price...

reasonable ? how unresonable can you get ? like all apple products in India, this too has not escaped overpricing. I was thinking it may come here for 16k, but wth ? 23,000 is too much. Better get PSP + Moto Rokr E6 + PSP expansion card.

[goobimama]

Better get PSP + Moto Rokr E6 + PSP expansion card.

yeah. We all remember how a certain Mr. Someone had to carry along a backpack just to hold that gigantic PSP in.

Although I will say that the price is indeed a little unreasonable, but a whole lot better than the 28k quoted earlier. It all depends on what the plans are like though. You see, in the US, the minimum plans will set you back by at least $1500 a year. It will be quite a bit different out here in India.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by goobimama

yeah. We all remember how a certain Mr. Someone had to carry along a backpack just to hold that gigantic PSP in.

Although I will say that the price is indeed a little unreasonable, but a whole lot better than the 28k quoted earlier. It all depends on what the plans are like though. You see, in the US, the minimum plans will set you back by at least $1500 a year. It will be quite a bit different out here in India.

well, ever since the iPhone's US prices came out here in India, most of us thought Apple might revolutionise the pricing of higher end mobiles by delivering us a high end handset at below 18k. But disappointed dreamers are the only ones left now.

[Voldy]

23k too much cant spent that much amount of money on it instead i would go for a iPod touch 8gb ver.

[BBThumbHealer]

I'll be waiting for the BlackBerry Storm !

[slugger]

any relation with this News

http://thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87697

My take
http://thinkdigit.com/forum/showpost...2&postcount=19

what the world discards we pay a premium to buy....go figure

[ring_wraith]

Better than 28k, but still unreasonable. 16k abroad and 23k here? That's a 43% increase.

@Goobi, Backpack to carry a PSP? Who is this certain someone anyway? How small can his pockets be?

[BBThumbHealer]

Originally Posted by slugger

who knows they wud instead divert its supply and dump those on India instead

Might Be Possible ... coz 3G isn't available in India yet so 3G-Less iPhone stock from Apple might get its sales here after its diversion from global market !

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

Originally Posted by BBThumbHealer

the iPhone, priced at Rs 23000 will be targetted at ‘high-end’ mobile phone users whose monthly bills exceed of Rs 1000

So 23k + High call rates 5 per minute and 3 Rs Per SMS should not be surprising. Exclusivity
People will buy the crap iphone to flaunt it, so would i, even though its not powerful.

[x3060]

i was happy that it was not 28 thats why i said reasonable . . even am planning for e6 . . iphone is not in my list anyway . . i find e6 enough for me

[swordfish]

is this price for 8gb?
Its almost same as Europe market.. its of 399 euros..
bit costlier.. should have been around 19k

I think 1000 rps per month bill is normal in India..

I'll be waiting for the BlackBerry Storm !

again blackberry... tum nahi sudhronge..
no offence man.. just couldnt resist to quote.. sorry..

[ax3]

iphone ke liye this price is nothing ....

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by ring_wraith

@Goobi, Backpack to carry a PSP? Who is this certain someone anyway? How small can his pockets be?

Oh please, even the largest pockets can't hold a PSP in. Maybe the ones in cargos though…

And anything about Rs. 20,000 for the 8GB iPhone is a little too expensive, IMHO. Ideally, the prices should have been Rs. 20,000 for the 8GB and Rs. 25,000 for the 16GB model.

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

most of us thought Apple might revolutionise the pricing of higher end mobiles by delivering us a high end handset at below 18k.

Umm… are we talking about the same Apple here? What precedent has the company ever set that made you (along with all the others who comprise the “most of us”) think that they'll “revolutionalise [sic] the pricing”?

You can't hold a company to a certain self-imposed standard and then blame them when they fail to live up to it. Like I said, the price is a bit steep, but given that it is Apple, it comes as no surprise to me. In fact, the price of 28K is more like what I expect from this company and was actually surprised to hear that it's going to be below 25K.

It's not like there are any other phones like the iPhone that you can buy if you don't like the price, so Apple could very easily have charged us more for it and the people who really wanted an iPhone would still buy one, because there is no other replacement or suitable competitor.

That said, I think the prices are going to come down within three-six months of the phone's release—though not like it's usual with mobile phones in India. You aren't going to see a sub-15K iPhone anytime soon, if at all. And once Apple releases the second generation iPhone (which, I think, is the first one they're going to release in India), they're going to pull the first generation products from the market, not allowing them to sell at rock bottom prices.

Just to make the company policies clear for everyone (although we might see them make some changes with respect to the way the Indian market works).