Apple and India...

Well, this is sad, particularly for someone in India, who avoids getting cracked iPhones...

Only yesterday Apple and Airtel announced availability of iPhone 3GS in India and today I get to read this, that Apple is releasing a new/better hardware for iPhone coming summer.

So, basically, India as an iPhone market is going to lag behind the rest of world by at least one model this time around as well.

Sometimes, I dont understand Apple's marketing strategy, specially in Indian context. As an Economy, India is probably the largest in the emerging market economies closely behind China. That statement should alone prove to be a "lucrative market" for any company which aims for growth.

This is specially interesting when we look at the number of iPhones already used in India with cracked OS's.

This doenst help a company's revenues if the product is consumed in a market where the company doesn't officially sell the product.

Also, the number of iPhones used in India, should give Apple an indication about the marketability of their product in this market. Personally, I think as a product from Apple's stable, iPhone has a lot of glamour linked to it.
And therefore, huge possibilities in India for Apple.

The new iPhone's rumoured specs look stunning, 5 MP camera, better display resolution, more processing power, possible multi tasking, video calling camera and few other things. After reading that, my plans to order an iPhone 3GS have taken a back seat. I want to see this product coming to market, further to see, when does it come to India.

Apple seems to listening to customers.. the kind of improvements rumoured is possibly the exact list of things someone might say are downsides of iPhone...

Good luck Apple, and India, hoping for a better collaboration this time around...

in reference to: More on next-gen iPhone and Verizon iPhone dreams (view on Google Sidewiki)

iPhone 3G in India...

Finally... finally... after such a long wait.. iPhone comes to India.. officially. But, despite all the hype and wait around it, the affordability of it really a huge question mark.

I didnt change my mobile phone for last 2 years, waiting for the iPhone to come to India. I booked an iPhone for me through both the prospective service providers in India, Airtel and Vodafone. It was all in anticipation that once its released in India, there would be huge queues for buying it, as was seen in other parts of world for iPhone 3G release.

However, the launch in India was not as expected. There was hype, but not as many customers. I am not a statistician and therefore cant give any numbers to prove my point, but I guess I have a feeling for the situation.

In my view, the pricing of the iPhone is a big reason for its slow launch. I cant say whether or not it would pick up in future, but right now, the price tag of 31000 and 36000 INR for iPhone is a very very high price. I mean, yes its a good phone, there are nice features, but thirty one thousand rupees... its just too much for a gadget in my view. And then, compare the price of the phone in US, 200 USD.. converts to around 8000 INR and so it shows that apple is selling that phone 4 times as costly as in US.. what kind of business strategy would that be ??? Especially in a cost sensitive market as India...

There would be people buying it, but not like me, not the average Indian IT guy, who knows the features, their meaning and usage and has a wish to own one. I dont know many who'd take up the phone at this price tag.

May be Apple will come back with a price cut in India as well, as they did in US... but will they offer people refunds for the difference.. we'll see...

Till the time apple decides to cut down on the price tag, my wait for owning an iPhone continues...