TUESDAY, May 13, (News Locale) – Apple’s iconic iPhone will see a double launch in India with the company deciding to go for non-exclusive deals in the country. As a result the iPhone will be released on Vodafone Essar as well as Bharti Airtel this October.
Apple iPhone is one of the most popular devices as it combines a cell phone, a music player and a web browser in one device. The iPhone was launched on June 29 in the United States and is available through AT&T exclusively.
Similar deals have been inked across Europe with 02, Orange and T-Mobile. Earlier this month Vodafone had announced a deal with Apple to bring the 8GB version of the iPhone to India and it was expected that Vodafone, which entered India with its acquisition of Hutch, would be the sole iPhone carrier.
The iPhone will be priced between Rs 25,000 and Rs 28,000 although the 16 GB version will carry a heftier price tag. This version is expected to debut on Indian markets in mid-2009.
The Economic Times is reporting that Apple will not enter into revenue sharing deals with mobile operators and any revenue for the Cupertino, California-based Apple will be through the device itself.
The iPhone has been available in India on the grey market soon after the US launch. However many consumers held back because of the illegality of buying unlocked iPhone. Apple itself estimates that at least 250,000 iPhones have been unlocked. However that number should come down given that the iPhone will be widely available; at least on the Asian markets.
Source: newslocale.org
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