Wisetechie Blog : Ctrl your Tech Life

Well you all cant have enough of Iphone related stuff so we gotta bring out another post. While the Iphone India Airtel/Vodafone FAQ is a great place to quench your Iphone 3G thirst, a lot of questions just need to be answered again and again, big names are starting to copy our posts and post structure. When newbies start writing posts, there are bound to be mistakes, a newbie writes that 3G in India is expected later this year ?

The truth is there is no telling when 3G services will be launched in India, 3G allows faster data transfer rates, video calls and other exclusive features. The iphone 3G’s main advantage is pretty useless in India and Vodafone and Airtel know that. They are relying more on Apple fanatic and fanboys to gobble up the Iphone and creating hype around the launch. Vodafone which will be the first to launch the Iphone 3G in India is doing a lousy job of promoting the Iphone, many people are not even aware that the Iphone is going to be launched, and many of those who are dont seem to know that Iphone doesnt run Symbian or Windows mobile.

Also you dont need sources in Vodafone/Airtel to predict availability. Ofcourse the Iphone will be sold out when its launched in India, when will it be launched, anywhere from August 2008 to October 2008. Airtel has a later launch date as it jumped onto the bandwagon later.

Anyway thats it for now, more Iphone 3G India related stuff soon.

Well we have been getting a lot of questions about the Iphone 3G, so here is a short FAQ for the time being  , but first some general Iphone 3G news, the Iphone is out of stock in the USA and its GPS is pretty bad from various reviews we have read. Updated 20th July 2008.

1. Who is going to launch the Iphone first in India ?

90% its going to be the Vodaphone Iphone 3G that will be launched first in India, it will be followed by the Airtel Iphone 3G , other companies like Idea and Spice will not be launching the Iphone 3G on their networks. The Indian Iphone 3G will most probably be locked to Airtel and/or Vodafone, ofcourse it will be unlockable as hackers worldwide are working to unlock the Iphone.

2. What kind of plan will the Indian Iphone have ?

The Indian Iphone as we said will be locked to Airtel and Vodafone, as Apple is supposedly subsidizing the cost of the Indian Iphone 3G, its very much possible that like in the USA, it will come bundled with a data plan, so cost could be as high as Rs.500 per month data charges apart from rent and call charges. Ofcourse final details will be known later. We’ll will update you as soon as Vodafone and/or Airtel announce their Iphone tariff structure.

3. What will the Airtel and Vodafone Indian Iphone 3G cost ?

Not $199 we are afraid, the Airtel Vodafone Indian Iphone will most probably cost around 14000-15000 Indian rupees (INR) at launch, and with the high demand its expected to be sold out in India a few days after the launch. We ofcourse would recommend waiting a little before buying the Iphone in India so prices come down, never smart to buy a product when its being sold at a premium.

4. Will Apple Applications be available to Indians ?

Yes ofcourse, Apple Apps will be available to Indian customers, infact companies like Indiagames are already planning (i read it) to release games for the Iphone 3G.

5. My relative is in the US, should i get them to buy the Iphone 3G and bring it to India , willl it work on Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Spice Telecom, Aircel etc.?

The Iphone 3G currently cant be unlocked to a non AT&T network. And also Apple has learnt its lesson, its offering in-store activation only. You can only buy the phone with a connection and it has a hefty cancellation fee. So really little use in getting these locked bricks attached to AT&T. Wait for some time, as soon as we get some clarity, we will let you know more. This phone will not work with Airtel, Vodafone, Idea etc. without activation.

6. Is Apple Iphone 3G really the ultimate phone to be launched in India ?

No, its not. 3G services really arent available in India. A lot of other phones also have 3G, but again its of absolutely no use.

Iphone has Wifi, most Windows Mobile phones come with Wifi, it has a 2 MP camera, which is pretty low, it has no video recording (huge setback) , the only feature we think is yet to be properly replicated is the Multi-touch feature. HTC Touch and other Windows mobile phones do provide a good touch interface though.

The Iphone has no expandable memory, no stereo bluetooth connection capability (NO A2DP) , its camera has no flash, it has no picture messaging and no cut and paste text support.

7. So what should i do ?

Well incase you don’t need the GPS feature and 3G being unavailable in India, buying an old Apple Iphone and upgrading it to firmware 2.0 might not be such a bad idea. Ofcourse check the fineprints.

8. Can i buy the Iphone 3G already in India ?

No but you may preregister the Iphone at both Airtel’s and Vodafone’s site.

9. Does the Iphone work on all continents ?

Yes, the Iphone is a quad band phone and will work on all continents, including Asia and North America.

10. I already have an Airtel and Vodafone account, will i have to change my number to get the Iphone 3G ?

Most probably no, whenever you sign up for a postpaid account, you are given the option of retaining your old number even if its prepaid. Iphone 3G plans should be no different.

11. Does the Iphone 3G’s GPS service work in India ?

The Iphone 3G’s GPS function is a global function and will definitely work in India, but as of now it will be very useless as Satguide and MapmyIndia, the two topmost routing providers in India dont have an Iphone 3G application yet. To use Google maps, you will need GPRS/Wifi to connect to internet and download maps, Google Maps are decent for Indian cities.

Original Iphone didnt have GPS.

12. Will Airtel/Vodafone Iphone 3G support EDGE ?

Yes it will.

13. How much will the Airtel and Vodafone Iphone 3G cost ?

This is a repeat question, but the fact is around 15000 Indian Rupees (INR) seems like the appropriate cost for  the Iphone 3G in India, the price could be higher, but definitely not lower. Apple will try and position it as a niche product so $199 cost is not feasible or appropriate. In US huge plan costs will help subside the phone cost but in India that cant be the case, most people love the freedom of prepaid unlike the USA.

14. Cant i buy the Iphone in America and come back to India ?

Apple and AT&T arent as stupid as you think, the Iphone is sold in USA with an AT&T contract. For the contract, AT&T will probably need your SSN and other identification documents. The phone plan like any other should have a security as well which would be forfeited if you try and rip AT&T or Apple off.

More FAQ will be added later,  Please correct us in comments if anything is wrong, also you are welcome to give your views, select comments may be incorporated in the post also.

Iphone Box Photo : Dan Taylor under CC 2.0 license

Our international readers will find the title of the post odd, but in India the Iphone launch is delayed, some Indian bloggers to gain visitors had reported that launch will be same day as international launch, ofcourse they have been proven wrong. Anyway, both Airtel and Vodafone are allowing people to book their Iphone on their websites, ofcourse, this seems to be more of a database building exercise, Airtel’s terms are as follows :

• “Booking” means expression of interest of buying Apple iPhone3G when it is available in the market.
• “Booking” doesnt imply that the customer has to purchase the product when it is launched and available.
• “Booking” doesnot guarantee that the product shall be made available to the customer.
• Airtel reserves the right to refuse the Booking at any stage.
• Airtel reserves the right to withdraw “Booking” at any time or at any stage.
• Some of the product features are not available in India or in certain service areas. Some of the features and services are dependent on the type of network the customer is in eg 3G, EDGE, GPRS, GSM. 3G is not available presently in India.

Customer doesnt have to buy, its not necessary that you will sell to them, then whats this booking business ?

Vodafone on the other hand dont even have any terms and conditions on their site, infact looking to make a quick buck , they have asked people to SMS their intention to buy iPhone to a premium SMS number.

Both companies are however honest  about this :

Some features and services are not available in all areas.

India will not support a lot of the Iphone features. We will update you on the price and terms as soon as we hear from Airtel and/or Vodafone.

Well the Iphone 3G will soon have its worldwide launch, but India stands to miss out yet again. While the Iphone is being launched even as we speak , its interesting to note the implications of the launch on Indian Iphone 3G enthusiasts:

1. India will most probably have an August 2008 launch for the Iphone 3G, unlike the normal perception India is having a deferred launch for the new Iphone. This has been confirmed by both Airtel and Vodafone.

2. The first operator to launch the Iphone 3G would be Vodafone in India, its expected to be a soft launch with a limited number of handsets. Vodafone beat Airtel to getting to be the pioneer handset manufacturer to procure the sets. Airtel will ofcourse launch soon afterwards, or may delay the launch till Diwali in order to get better sales. It will be interesting to note how Airtel combats the advantage that Vodafone will have of launching the Iphone early on in India before anyone else.

3. The price, as you know price is THE most important factor in the Indian market. The original Iphone was infact never launched in India many say due to the pricing. Anyway, the Iphone will not be $199 in India. Most are expecting it to be anywhere from 12000 rupees to 14000 rupees.

Also, unlike last time you wont be able to import and unlock, as the Iphones will be exclusively store activated in the US,the plan desertion and leaving charges will be enormous, making importing the Iphone 3G an expensive affair.

Keep looking at this space for more Iphone infomation !

We keep you updated on the new Iphone 3G, and as things would have it a lot of companies are making software exclusively for the Iphone 3G, many of them like Ebay, and certain GPS GIS companies are innovating hard. So what do you expect from google ?

A supercool version of Gtalk which perhaps shows your GPS location and allows you to talk with crystal clear voice clarity. Well sorry, but thats not gonna happen. The Gtalk for Iphone will only be a text chatting service, disappointed ? So are they just porting Jabber for the Iphone in fancy Google colours ?

The Indian Iphone users will also be disappointed, but dont be. Skype will answer your Iphone needs

Your friendly Iphone 3G reminder for Indians looking to buy the new Iphone

Remember when the Iphone 3G launches in India, it will only be available from Airtel and Vodafone and will probably be locked and come with a hefty plan and high termination fee. Your best bet is still to get the old Iphone for a bargain and get it unlocked, that baby still turns heads. Also other market players like HTC Diamond, Cruise etc. and Asus P320 phones may be given a thought. Personally i am addicted to Windows Mobile these days.

Our Iphone for India posts are indeed the most popular posts on the blog ever with around 500 comments :O , anyway i was reading Techcrunch today and it seems that the new Apple Iphone 3G will be sold only with a contract. Moreover it will be activated in-store only. So unlike last time you wont be able to buy the phone without contract and unlock it. Apple and AT&T surely have learnt their lesson, but this strategy will ofcourse decrease total Apple Iphone sales while increasing AT&T customer numbers. This is because earlier people were buying the Iphone to unlock it, but now that wont be happening. Also more people will be forced to activate and stay with AT&T, meaning more customers for them and rivals will be losing customers. T-Mobile needs to think quick now

Also cancelling it will need $175 , so Iphone 3G may not be the next big thing after all. Disappointing !