Wisetechie Blog : Ctrl your Tech Life

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.

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.

After i wrote to Imate’s customer care about the exhortatory spare part costs, this is the reply i got. They told me that the price is set by the service center and i should co-ordinate with them on this matter ::

Dear valued customer

Thank you for your email.

We would like to inform you that the price for the spare parts is only in concern with the service centre.

So we request you to please coordinate with the service centre.

For further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Best Regards,

<name removed>

This is the care they have shown for me as a ‘valued Imate customer’, needless to say i will never ever buy an Imate phone again in India and have recommended the same to all my family members and friends. The phones are great, but try and get service from Imate and they will clean your pockets

I am was the proud owner of a Imate phone till now. Sure it turned heads, one mention of Imate and people’s eyes twinkled. I was happy till recently. In college one day i saw that the screen had developed a huge crack. I decided to get the screen replaced. Having replaced the screen of one of my earlier phones for 800 rupees i didnt really think of it as that much of a big deal. I thought the screen would costs anywhere from 1000 to 1500 rupees.

I went to Asian electronics at Rajouri garden to get the screen fixed. The clerk very casually told me that the screen would cost me 4000 rupees. I was shocked, i asked him how it could be, the cost should be proportionate to the phone cost atleast. ‘Aisa hi hota hai’  the clerk said. One surfing the Internet i found more people with similar stories whose screens had gotten cracked by themselves and Imate had asked for exhortative screen costs. 5000 rupees another customer of Imate has written on an online forum.

Wow, i never thought that this company would be looking to make quick bucks by robbing its loyal and old customers with superoverpriced spare parts. Old and loyal customers should be respected not robbed. Ask Apple, it tries super hard to keep its loyalists and thats why its a successful company. I decided not to get the screen repaired. Its not that i cant afford the 4000 rupees , but its just that i cant stand the sight of an Imate phone now. Whenever i see someone with an Imate i think to myself, such an unlucky guy.

So i have also written to Imate’s support about this issue, lets see what they reply.

But advice to all our readers, think twice before taking this plunge.

ne of our readers Mac Kalvin has successfully run his Iphone mobile on Airtel India’s network after unlocking it. He has also compiled a step by step procedure to unlock the Iphone. Here are also some photos showing proof of the Iphone working on Airtel, the photos have been taken by Mac Kalvin. All these things are being posted here with permission from him.

In case you encounter any problem, you can clarify it with him, feel free to call him, IM him or email him (he says).

Airtel Network being received by Iphone

Airtel Customer Care being called on 121

Airtel Symbol and Edge Symbol on the Iphone

You may also download the PDF detailing the step by step unlocking of the Iphone from this link (external)

Iphone Unlock PDF (Updated)

How to unlock the iPhone using the anySIM program (New !!!)

Disclaimer :: Unlocking the Apple Iphone might void your warranty of the Apple Iphone, furthermore proceed with unlocking at your own risk, we will not be responsible for any damage caused as a result of you trying to unlock your Iphone.

And in the end, if you unlock your phone, please shoot a small video of the unlocked phone and send it to us.

Also the Iphone after being unlocked properly will run on Hutch, Airtel, Idea etc. and all other Indian GSM networks.

Also do not buy the iPhone from indiatimes or other such shops, they are selling it for 45000 rupees, you can get an iphone for Rs.16000 only and you can unlock it yourself for free.

We had reported about Airtel increasing local SMS and call rates alongwith Hutch and Idea. The three operators had formed a cartel and at that time the TRAI had said that it was keeping a close watch on the situation. Angered by this hike a NGO had filed a case asking for TRAI intervention in the hike.

The appeal was filed in TDSAT, in its reply TRAI said that

“We are constantly watching the issue raised but the charges are within the ceiling limits”.

To this the TDSAT replied that it was not bird watching, they have to intervene.

I wonder if they really have formed a cartel, MRTPC will like to have a word with the three telcos.

Nokia is a funny company, after it recalled the faulty batteries, it literally saved its reputation, but the interesting thing is who lost ?

Matsushita did for one, they will bear all the costs of battery replacement. But did Nokia gain in monetary terms ?

It might shock you , but it did. With all the hue and cry over the batteries, one could contact Nokia by 3 routes ::

1. Web
2. Outlet
3. SMS-es to 5555

The third option is the jackpot, gullible and non-techie users found SMS the most convenient way to find if their battery was indeed defective. But most of them weren’t aware that Nokia earns from short code SMSes sent to 5555. 5555 is a premium number for sending SMS. So in a way ,bad batteries made money for Nokia in India atleast. All said and done, its really bad business ethics on Nokia’s part to earn from their customer’s misfortunes.

Of course i am waiting for someone to sue Nokia over this.

While other mobile operators reduce rates, i got another shocker from Airtel today. I got a message on my Airtel Delhi Prepaid that local calls Airtel to Airtel will now be 1.2 rupees a minute up from 1 rupee a minute and SMS shall now be 1.2 to Airtel. Bharti Airtel should really reconsider such stupid rate hikes, the Indian consumer is stupid no more.

Boycott this company, call the customer care and tell them to take your complaint about new rates. Airtel to Airtel calls are entirely under Airtel, so why the rate increase ?

Well we all have relatives in the USA dont we ? , wouldn’t it be nice if you could call them for absolutely nothing. Free , zilch, Zero !!!

Yes its possible, with Icall you can call anyone in the USA for free. Ofcourse remember US is still primitive in terms of cell phone reforms and incoming calls are not free. Usually cell phone calls are free only on weekends and at night. So fix up a convenient time with your friend or relative in the US to call.

The voice quality for free calls is pretty poor though, but bearable too. Free lunches are supposed to give you belly ache, aint it ? Also remember you cant call 911 with this. Paid calls are pretty expensive though, calls to India are 8.5 cents a minute, i have seen services charging much lesser.