Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Rumors, Apple, iPhone
iPhone coming to India on Vodaphone in September?
Apple sources are telling the Business Standard that the iPhone is launching in India on carrier Vodafone, with an expected release date this September. The 8GB version is supposedly launching within the year for sure, with a 16GB version "based on buyer response" in 2009.These "sources" seem to know quite a bit -- they also claimed that Vodaphone was being considered for an Australian release, and said that "multiple carriers" might even be likely. Of course, don't forget your grain of salt on this one -- Vodafone officials denied any knowledge of the deal. But it's very true that India is one of the biggest players in the "grey market" for iPhones, so a deal there, with Vodafone or another carrier, wouldn't be unexpected at all.
There is one catch -- apparently the price specified by Apple sources is around Rs 28,000, which is a whopping $700 US (for comparison, the price in the UK was £300 on release before the price drops, which comes to $599 US). So if these sources are legit, anyone wanting to take advantage of a Vodafone deal won't be doing so cheaply.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bram said 9:42AM on 4-18-2008
Vodafone or Vodaphone...?
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Matt said 10:10AM on 4-18-2008
Vodafone, not Vodaphone.
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Manish Jain said 10:11AM on 4-18-2008
anybody from India knows the Business Standard (BS) is really full of BS.
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Neil said 10:37AM on 4-18-2008
iPhone was never £300 in the UK. It has always been priced at £269, until the one and only price drop it has received, taking it to £169.
It's also Vodafone, not Vodaphone.
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Neil said 10:37AM on 4-18-2008
iPhone was never £300 in the UK. It has always been priced at £269, until the one and only price drop it has received, taking it to £169.
It's also Vodafone, not Vodaphone.
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Amit said 10:46AM on 4-18-2008
$700 ????
Nice....good luck!!
bookmarked @ http://livbit.com
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Brandon said 11:36AM on 4-18-2008
If India or Australia gets the iPhone before Canada does, I'm going to lose it.
What the hell is taking so long?!!
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pscs said 5:12PM on 4-18-2008
as many have pointed out...
Vodafone ≠ Vodaphone
The article itself has some correct spellings though. :/
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pscs said 5:13PM on 4-18-2008
By the way, your tag is wrong as well.
south said 11:42PM on 4-18-2008
lol, Canada. no Apple Stores, no iPhones...
that must really burn :)
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Brandon said 1:34AM on 4-19-2008
It really sucks man. It's starting to get better, there's a new flagship (2 store) Apple store opening in Vancouver this summer. But man, I really hope I'll have my iPhone in hand for that event...
Brandon said 1:35AM on 4-19-2008
(2 story***)
Karan Jain said 1:12AM on 4-19-2008
Rs. 28,000 isn't all that bad for the iPhone. The unlocked ones sell in the gray/black market for Rs. 31000 to 33000, depending on the capacity.
Back in September I bought 5 iPhones (before the no cash embargo went up), unlocked em and sold each for Rs 35000 and they were the freakin' 4GB models.
I guess $700 seems a lot in the US, but the phone culture is very different in India, and there are countless people willing to spend that much for phones. Besides, when it comes out, it won't be long before the prices drop to more competitive levels.
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Sanjay Mehta said 1:42AM on 4-20-2008
To put the rumoured price in perspective, the Nokia E90 sells for INR 36k and is difficult to get as it's almost always out of stock.
Craigslist usually has a few unlocked iphones for sale around INR 22k, BTW.
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appleobsessed said 8:11PM on 4-19-2008
Actually, 28,000 rupees for a phone in India isn't too suprising. I bought an Nokia N70 during a visit around 2 years ago for 25,000 rupees(yes it was released in Asia back then). The thing about India's cell phone market is that phones are not sold locked to a carrier, and like all unlocked phones, the consumer has to pay a premium. Another thing, Im happy that the iPhone was released here first, because a lot of the new high tech phones are all introduced in Asia...
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Quickdraw said 2:56AM on 4-30-2008
The iPhone is available here for max 25K INR and it should be priced close to that officially because here you dont get pay as you go like in the US you are supposed to cough up the whole price before.
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