India Preparing for Major iPhone 4 Expansion

[Michael Essany]

On Monday, the world learned that Apple's iPhone 4 is about to make a major splash in one of the world's largest and most rapidly expanding mobile phone communities on the planet - the nation of India. According to the Wall Street Journal, two prominent telecommunication service providers in India say the iPhone 4 will be introduced on their networks "in the coming months."

The news comes just as mobile telecom companies in India begin rolling out third-generation services. The new Indian iPhone 4 carriers include Bharti Airtel Ltd. and Aircel Ltd., although neither is presently commenting on the anticipated costs that will be associated with iPhone 4 ownership and usage in India.

Second only to China with regard to the world's largest market for telecom services, India presently has more than 790 million mobile phone subscribers, many of whom are eager to get their hands on the iPhone 4. Bharti, which sells earlier models of the iPhone, says it has already added "2 million users to its 3G mobile telephone network," which only launched three months ago.

Bringing up-to-date versions of the iPhone to India not long after their global debut elsewhere has been a goal for Apple and India-based wireless carriers for quite some time. Still, a considerable amount of lag-time continues to exist between the debut of new generation iPhone models and the timeframe in which the devices actually reach Indian mobile customers.

Source: Wall Street Journal

[iliveudie]

Today, America! Tomorrow, the world!!!

[crabbie]

Yeah baby! But it'll be very costly

The phones will be sold unlocked for around $900 in India

[mikerlx]

Glad to hear!!!

[Sanady361]

Why shouldn't everyone have an iPhone?

[chinmay007]

O really...
so great...!! rest of the world waits for iphone 5...indians wait for iphone 4...
Its not expansion... its called " Dumping your retiring Stock before the new one arrives "

[dennisdionisio]

i think this is too late. if im from india, i'd rather wait for iphone 5 than buy iphone 4 now. rumors say that iphone 5 will be released summer this year anyway...

[Donnutt]

Yeah baby! But it'll be very costly

The phones will be sold unlocked for around $900 in India

Why? Apple sells factory unlocked iPhones to the UK for 500 pounds... I'm actually considering buying my next iPhone from there so I can use it worldwide.

[vinaygoel2000]

Finally all my buddies back in India will stop asking me to send them an iPhone 4 for $200.

[feidhlim1986]

Would even Apple bring the iPhone 4 to a new country in few months and then bring out the iPhone 5 straight away?

"in the coming months." could coincide with the expected release of the iPhone 5...why not release that in India?
Or will India remain to be behind a generation...

[virajz1]

eBay India has been selling factory unlocked iPhone 4s since launch...

At first the price was huge like $1400-$1500.. but now they are selling them for apprx. $700...

[nik138]

Im from india and it takes a long time to get the iphone officially and it also costs a bomb .However the grey markets is loaded with iphones (factory unlocked ones) and ipad2 for a premium.

[hapishyguy]

India already has iPhone 4. Its just its being released officially now. BUT, people love and like blackberry more in India than an iPhone.

[Jahooba]

I just can't reconcile this news with my mental view of India, which I understand to be mostly ultra-poor. I just imagine people with no food in an un-air-conditioned hut tapping away on an iPhone.

I mean, of COURSE there's a wealthy upper class, but I never hear anything about the middle class in India. Is there one? There's simply a giant dark void in my knowledge of India...

[aayushcool]

That's common in India

Apple launched 3GS last year in India and at the same time Apple launched iPhone4. So here we have to play the waiting game or get one from UK(Factory unclocked).

I just hope Apple realizes that due to this delay they wont be able to sell as many iPhones as they would have wanted cuz many of us have already purchased Iphone 4 from outside.

[hapishyguy]

I just can't reconcile this news with my mental view of India, which I understand to be mostly ultra-poor. I just imagine people with no food in an un-air-conditioned hut tapping away on an iPhone.

I mean, of COURSE there's a wealthy upper class, but I never hear anything about the middle class in India. Is there one? There's simply a giant dark void in my knowledge of India...

lolz!!! You need to seel your iPod and Windows 7 PC put some more money and buy a ticket to India.
Yes there is poverty but not even like what Slumdog Millionaire has shown I dont know why US and UK media always show the hardcore poverty striken areas. Why dont they show the Microsoft's office (the only 2nd official headquarters in the world), Cisco, IBM, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, GE, Nordea, BGI, State Street, Morgan Stanley, Golman Sachs etc etc etc.

Anyway, blackberry is more popular and widely accepted in India than iPhone so no use of even officially releasing it.

Oh yeah, did you sell you iPod yet Just messin widya!

[kaush6054]

Apple really sucks why the hell they dont wanna lauch iphone 5 directly????
by launchin IP4 they prove it bull **** and indians will never accept that!!!!!!!!!
they go nokia way

[xclusiveiphone]

Anyway, blackberry is more popular and widely accepted in India than iPhone so no use of even officially releasing it.

Like many of us, after experiencing a luxury device like an iPhone or Android there's no turning back.

[hapishyguy]

Like many of us, after experiencing a luxury device like an iPhone or Android there's no turning back.

Still blackberry is more popular

I have an iPhone 4 myself buy I miss blackberry for BBM. I heard that Blackberry is working on BBM for iPhone. The day its released iPhone will be a fully functional device.

[splash104]

I wonder if the SHEW SINA (extremist party of india) pops out a few of the iphone 4 owners as they might get 'jealous' ...