iPhone 3G Voice and Data Plans from Vodafone India

I dont feel iPhone is going to be a hit in India with this high plans and cost of handset and its also not worth that price.

Man what a let down. All the hype about the iPhone in India has been deflated in an instance.

I use a nokia E61i with airtel… I am happy with the unlimited data plan of airtel. heck! I dwnload torrents on my phone so.. God knows how much my bill will be if i use a limited data plan…

I would prefer to buy Blackberry

Really sad, they are looting us, makes more sense to buy a Nokia E71.

cheers
satish

Thankyou for the comparison and the BlackBerry Curve from Airtel appears to be more economical for webusers.Rs.5 per MB is too high!

Just a nightmare!!!

Woah! What a let down :( And Airtel’s current data speeds are’nt that great, but at least it’s unlimited. Wonder when the 3G network will roll out, and how fast it’ll be when it does?

Still, there are other <a href=”http://www.flyyoufools.com/death-and-iphone/”>cheaper ways of getting an iPhone 3G</a>, I guess.

Amit,

Do you have any leads on whether users can migrate their existing Vodafone/Airtel plans to iPhone?

I’m afraid Apple’s India pricing policy has lost them several thousand potential customers. Of course, the device itself has several flaws that put me off (http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2008/08/08/why-i-wont-be-buying-the-iphone-3g/):

* You can’t run applications in the background - only one-at-a-time.
* Poor battery life; no replaceable battery
* Touchscreen keyboard (no good for heavy text/email users)
* No support for copy and paste - need an external application for that.
* Poor camera ( you discussed that).
* No capability to be used as a modem with a computer/laptop.
* Apple has admitted at can disable applications that it deems malicious on your iPhone remotely. Not sure how many customers will be comfortable with that.
* 3G performance has been notoriously poor - not a happy sign for someone who’s been eagerly awaiting 3G rollout in India for a year.

…so the Apple should prepare for the ‘History’, the worst fall they would have to witness ever in this world for the first time,

iPhone is SURELY going to be a BIG FLOP in India, and I have no doubts for this if the pricing is as above you have mentioned here : (

Cheers…

I also doubt whether iPhone is going to be a hit in India.

The price of i phone is simply tooooooooooo much.

The big companies air tel and vodophone are too much money minded and want to mint the money from indian customers and i request all fellow indians not to buy it.

Appele price is Rs .8500 and indian company price is 36000.

What else to say ?

I choose Nokia N95 over BlackBerry and damn expensive iPhone

Nokia has thousands of Applications that makes my life easier….of course iPhone have few great apps but…who will pay so much money for few apps and the phone that has
# no keyboard
# no cut and copy feature
# no video cam
# no high resolution photo capturing(it has only 2M cam)
# no battery life more than couple of hours on 3G
# no fring app(i make free ISD calls for free using FRING app to Skype or Gtalk users)

THUMBS DOWN TO iPHONE in INDIA

Apple,
i think it is very tough for you to succeed in India…. may be try releasing with half the price of current rate. We would consider it over other phones.

When WWDC event was happening to unveil iPhone 3G,i was going crazy to bag a handset for myself but Rs.36K price and such data plans have confirmed a massive commercial loss to Vodafone and Airtel.(I am sure,i am among the millions of disappoined iPhone fans).
They have to be reminded that
$1= Rs.44 rather than Rs.1= $44
How come such smart telecom giants commited a blunder by launching $199 priced iPhone(in US) for $710 in India.
I am feeling really bad for Apple as they will have to lift a “Failure” tag in India inspite of being so “Feature Rich”.Vodafone & Airtel sucks.Apple,you still rock…

Why would I spend Rs 31k on iPhone India 3G? I can wait for 3G India to gett started.

One could buy a much cheaper unlocked version from grey markets and it could be used with any carrier and we know 3G is coming next 6-8 months!

For price, same story with Airtel.

Via mail from Airtel

1. 8 GB (Black) for Rs 31000
2. 16GB (White & Black) for Rs 36100

I think iphone is not of this worth….and sure - Ipod touch is a better option at Rs.16000. Also if u want iphone then its better to buy from abroad and use here at 1/4th price…..So These new offers for iphone are of new use

the current tariff and the cost are definitely pricey but I wonder if they are doing it only to deter loads of people getting on there cell network and probably bringing it down. iPhone is a kinda of big deal for any operator and any consumer out there, not just for india but for any other country. So to me it does make sense if they want to ease into it. and the only way they can limit the customer count is by the prices (and they make good money on it, though for a short while).

for how long the phone is locked?

Good News Thanks Amit.

i will be waiting for Android Dream phone instead..

Does Apple think that Indians are so foolish that they would shell out an extra $600 of their hard earned money just for namesake?
One could take a weekend vacation in Singapore or Bangkok and come back with an unlocked IPhone at the quoted Vodafone Airtel cartel price.
I am happy with my Nokia E62 which offer Unlimited GPRS for 249 pm and rather buy the upcoming Nokia N96 18 GB with 5mp camera that will be honestly priced. And if big touch screen is the only concern one could go for HTC touch Diamond n pro with keyboard that will launched shortly. And even the LG Viewty has a big screen size with touch screen and 5mp.
By the way BSNL has already placed orders with Ericsson for 3G equipments and will launch by year end. So no matter what connection or handset you buy, make sure that its not a bundled one and the phone is unlocked.
Vodafone is a sinking ship in its home turf with huge losses this fiscal and Airtel is another fool to think that they are one way up to their own countryman.
Guys there are better ways and places to enjoy our hard earned money rather than shelling it out to Vodafone Airtel cartel.
Wait a few months and Nokia will gift you with a much better touch phone thats 5mp, unlocked and honestly priced.
And both Vodafone and Airtel can kiss each others a$$. .

All my hopes of owning that super-gagdet have vanished by the declaration of such a high price tag which is itself not very good and the loss of potential customer in the Indian market is a defeat of Vodafone’s marketing strategy.

they can’t think other way to sell out it as their tie up with these companies will not make happy all apple Iphone lover for those too much higher price

it will be foolish to BUY iphone at that price… iphone fans better wait and watch for few months for a possible drop in prices…

iPhone Rocks everywhere..BUT Just because of Pricing of $100= $710 , it Sucks in india…How can Apple let these operators do the monopoly like this kind of pricing..In the end, Its Apple who is loosing business and name… Or else, seems its a big game been played around to make this fone a flop by other players in the indian market.. As someone said, its useless puttng this much money on a fone..It has surely chopped off the dreams of apple making billions in india.. An Honest price could have made Apple earn a Billion ollar from here..

Guys…we dnt loose anything if we dnt get iPhone..But These operators loose..Apple looses if the cant sell.. Wait and watch for Android..It will unviel the true power of Open Handset Allianz Leaded by Google…

Even in US, iPhone will cost $599 (8GB) and $699 (16 GB) if you don’t want a 2-year AT&T contract.

They are selling the phone for $199 here because they are recovering it over 2 years with min of 70$ a month bill (which includes mandatory $30 data plan).

Another feature which may not be hit in India is the Assisted-GPS (it uses 3G, wi-fi and satellite to pin-point your location using triangulation method).

I have honest advice for my friends in India. Guys if you want spend 30K buy NOKIA N96 instead. I am in US and I wished the US carriers supportd Nokia N series!! iphone has good UI everything else is better in Nokia. Apple is over hyped company and the products are overpriced for US consumer. Indian consumer is smart. For example a Sandisk mp3 player cost half the price of ipod nano and has 4 times the feature.

Someone in the upper management from Airtel made a statement that the reason iPhone is priced so high is because in US carriers recover their money over the 2 yr contract. Well, guess what, Airtel is trying to squeeze us, and still get more money over the yrs by making us shell out 1000 bucks per month on rentals and limited data plans? Screw you Airtel!

well , i think i phone will not able to capture the indian market because there are many disadvantages like
- It’s blue tooth will only compatable with Apple devices only so people does not transfer images or songs to different phones
- Messages can not be forwarded to any other no. in this device so Indian youth will defineatly avoid it.
- It’s battery backup is very low approx 1 or 1.5 a day
- It’s battery can not be changed easily it’s changed only through it’s service center
- It’s very costly as we compare it with Blackberry’s or nokia’s upcoming mobile phone Nokia N96

because of the following disadvantages Indian youth will avoid Apple Iphone

Iphone-3g is like Ferrari with faulty transmission(FWFT). and iphone-3g in India is like FWFT on indian roads. First of all the 3g network is not matured in India to take full advantage of iphone. The 3G spectrum was auctioned last year in India. It takes few years to mature.
It all over internet iphone-3g drops call and choppy 3g connection even in areas of 3g converage. Apple has released patch but still the problem persist. Some say there is fault with chip nfd by Infineon. If that is true Apple will have to recall million iphone sold it will be massive recall in history of consumer electronics, much greater than last year’s SOny laptop battery recall.
Iphone will work well in India in 2-3 years from now. by that time Apple would have fixed problem and India will have greater 3-g coverage. If you are planning to buy now it will be like FWFT :-)

The India launch is UNMATCHED, no long lines, no craze, JUST A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT in the air,

Pricing is the main factor and others are secondary, India still is a price conscious market, only than they go for the quality,

Apple has to learn the ‘SUCCESS’ lesson from Nokia in India or they would have to soon say a Goodbye India : )

Can’t really believe this.

Do they really think that we are that stupid?

Who wants to throw money in that crippled device?

Guys, lets admit the fact, its JUST Because of Price, we don’t want iPhone..or else iPhone at 10000??Tell me who will not buy??? If u dnt , then u dnt com and start exploring the reasons for iPhone unless u r the marketing manager for Nokia

just pointing about iPhone does not have is quite simple and i bet it can become more simpler for other phones what it doesn have, especially Nokia MObiles who have been serving only Indian Market on their Lead Today…
I dnt understand one more thing..Why many of u guys have been pointing about the 3g facility given by iPhone is been criticized…if this reason of we still don’t have a 3g network yet in India is one negative reason for iPhone..Then why u ever entertained a phone by Nokia Called N95 which Boasted of 3.5g network which in REALITY IS NON EXISTENT IN THE WORLD OF CONSUMERS…
I don’t have any harm feelings for anyone…

People Interested can surely buy iPhone… Price for Unlocked N95 and iphone(Without contarct) is $599 and $680 in USA. and The price in India is No diferent…

To be Frank, Even I expected more of what it means but now i understand why it is…Its surely not vodafone or airtel who has huge Margin

The Nokia N95 existed 3 year back with similar feature minus touch screen. There was no hype. Apple enters and creates huge hype in India. It undestandable in US as there is a huge apple fan base and support network. Where as in India there are hand ful of Apple stores forget the support service. N95 and iphone may cost same. but n95 has feture rich and its OS is much better than apple. And they have many application and games to download and install some are free. Let me tell my personal exp. my friend owns iphone. As long as he in wifi network , web sufing is real cool. Once he is out of network most of the time the web page take ages to load. reminds me of dial-up internet age. its very good Ipod replacement !!

3g iphone in india has to be a big flop, i dont know why this company is so conservative for their operating system, everytime you need to have itunes to do any damn thing, this phone is not at all versatile with different operating system, it may be good as a ipod and that to probably in US but in india with no apple support, people will go crazy maintaining them, god help to those who buy iphone.

I believe all of us are having more than one mobile handset, and a Nokia definately. The very first time i got myself a mobile was a bulky 2nd hand Erricson with a long huge antenna on top. It was a terrible experience as with most second hands.
One day i could save enough to buy a entry level b&white screen Nokia and than a Motorola slim and finally setteled for Nokia E62.
Motorola was terrible and i hated them more coz what i bought for around Rs 18000 later became Rs 4000. So i vowed never to buy a Motorola again. But i was happy with both the Nokias.
Then came a time when i needed a second connection and I settled for a sleek Sony Ericsson which is good too.
So basically i dont really need another mobile, but the kind of noise Apple has been making since the launch of the first I Phone, i became a little restless. Then came the IP3G and news of India launch and i thought why not.
But the very first thing that i did not like was that it was not to be sold as free to use unlocked one but bundled with operator. Then came the price blow, which basically meant that buyers would be at the operators mercy.
Fortunately by the time it was launched in India, i realised that it would not be a wise buy. The one and only good thing i could finally find in IP3G was its large display, other than that the competetion had a much much better offering with 5 mp camera and other necessary features that Apple lacked.
So i did not buy the IP3G and decided to wait for three new moelds from industry veterens: Nokia N96, Sony Ericson X1 or Xperia and finally Samsung -900 or Omnia.
So till Diwali have to do with Nokia E62. Unless i decide to upgrade to E71 ofcoz.
As for Apple its lotsa noise and no substance. So Bye Bye IP3G.
.

Let me tell my personal exp. my friend owns iphone. As long as he in wifi network , web sufing is real cool. Once he is out of network most of the time the web page take ages to load. reminds me of dial-up internet age. its very good Ipod replacement !!

Good things always come at a price. Can u compare a Maruti model with a Honda Civic? but both are cars and have their share of customers. If you want ‘touch’ phone, iphone is the best option. Regarding the complains, $199 US price is only with bundled US 2 yr plan. Without a contract it is somewhere near $700 which is the India price.

I have a friend of mine using 8GB iphone (not 3G) purchased from local Kolkata market at 25K for last 3 months without any problem and upgraded to latest 2.0.2 firmware.

The (+) points are using any (your own number) sim and no monthly extra data charges. Use many third party applications according to your choice and needs.

The (-) points are that you cannot have Internet access while on the go. Internet is only available from a WiFi access point.

Apple iphone still rocks for those who can afford it. Not everybody can buy ipods!!!

Thats crazy I am an Indian currently in UK and am on unlimited data plan on my iphone 3g for 7.50 pounds a month..Thats about 500-600 Rupees… I download pictures..watch youtube videos and do loaaaaaads more on the go…I just hope there is a good 3g infrastructure in India soooooon and also unlimited data plans at low prices availabe…..Fingers crossed..Lets hope for the best guys…

Who ever bought the I Phone 3G should be crying by now, unless ofcourse they purchased it just for show off.
Why, well becouse a few months wait and we all can get our hands on a 3.8 inch, 5mp touch screen wonder.
No its not Samsung Omnia or anything from Nokia but from the HTC stable.
I must congratulate and thank the Taiwanese manufecturer for understanding the consumer needs so accurately even though they started operating from 1997 only.
The HTC Touch HD model was announced early this month and should be available in India by late December if not early.
As my priority is web sufing followed by camera use i am very much satisfied with the specifications of the HD. The only missing part is the flash but given the other combination its minor.
But as with any gadget i am sure that we will be expecting a 12mp camera phone next year. Sony already has a 8mp model on the line up.
Anyways i am thanking myself for the wait and not buying the IP3G or N96.
Hope many of you will pick up the HTC Touch HD as well.

I have been using Iphone 2G for long time, like 6 months, and never had any problem with it. The phone is awesome and other any phone cant stand with it.About price some guys does not know any thing moreover over news channel and media also know nothing. Price is fine, its same as in other countries. Everybody is looking for $200, dont you know they have to pay minimum $70 per month for plans. And about features like0-
1. Video recording- i do video recording using iphone just need to install 3rd party application.
2.No sms forwarding-who says just install one more software and thats it. like this hell of lots of application available for iphone which makes it wonderful device you wont find that much application for any other device
Let me tell you one thing its just like a PC apple has given you a Computer with Windows installed now if you know anything about it then install softwares and take advantage of device and if you dont know anything then keep saying like this that its has not that or that.

one more thing Nokia, what is this you all are talking about N95 what the hell phone is this, hangs up instantly, nothing man i have used nokia many phones, Till now Nokia does not know how to make a good phone with good speed, You people take Nokia with eye shut, 5 Mega pixel does not make any phone good.

on the other hand Apple Iphone so smooth never stucks, awesome.
I thing its enough and use Iphone and then Write something about it, You cant say about any thing about Iphone as its the only phone you need to use it to feel it.

APPLE ROCKS !!

why should one buy iphone in rs. 36,000/- instead of a Laptop with Reliance or Tata datacard. iphone’s price is really foolish.

I agree that the iphone is expensive, however, the new Blackberry Bold is equally expensive. These new breed of phones, are much more costly. However, you do need to look at what you get. The iphone is an ipod and mini computer all in one. The battery life on the 3g is 2 days of normal phone use or 7 hours of heavy use.

You cannot compare these phones to the average phone. The Iphone is the first phone I have used where browsing the internet is actually realistic as you don’t need to zoom in so much that getting round the page is awkward.

I looked at both the Blackberry Bold and the iphone and decided on the iphone, simply because when they were side by side the screen on the iphone is huge compared to the Bold. Also the Bold OS is very old now and until it is updated is sadly lacking in functionality.

The Iphone can be ‘jailbroken’ (hacked) very easily giving you extra functionality. It also allows you to use any data plan with any network by changing the APN manually. I have a friend using Aircel unlimited.

I was initially concerned with the keyboard, but it works extremely well. In fact it works so well that personally I see no justification for taking up so much space with a hardware keyboard. My previous phone was an HTC IMATE K-JAM and after a year some keys stopped responding.

For email no doubt the Blackberry is better, but for an all round device the iphone is fantastic. There are now some 500 apps available via appstore and another 500 hundred through the jailbreak community which is rapidly growing.

Ultimately I purchased the Iphone because I am a Mac user and it integrates beautifully. I also purchased it because I ca leave my laptop at home and still do most of what I need (text entry is always a problem with a small device). If I only wanted a phone, I would by a 1000Rs device, but essentially I want a mini computer and the iphone and blackberry do this job very well.

Ok here goes…Listen, if Vodafone or anyother company providing cell phone services in India gives all that pricing that would be considered ” Reasonable Value ” for the Apple iphone then guess what happens to the market of Nokia, Motorola, Samsung etc in India. All these companies are in dire state to begin with in USA now since they are losing their stand in revenue because of one single company named Apple Inc. Each and every cell phone service provider is pushing out particular models with features catered to their service. Now these are provided to these name companies at subsidized prices. Just because the iphone is the baddest boy in the market, making it affordable for consumers would hurt revenues for both the cell phone service provider and handset makers as well. You don’t wanna believe it? Google the past year revenue deflation of Nokia, Samsung, Motorola in NYSE indexes. Sony/Ericsson is hurting real bad. And please don’t blame the market meltdown. Thats all bullshit globally except for USA. Laterz to all the ones who didn’t understand a word that I just said. To the ones who did understand, congrats on your dilated mind. 4:08AM Edison, NJ 08837 USA

Fring for iphone is there, and with hacked one, you can use it with 3G or edge even :)