iPhone+ India - I can only imagine what these two put (well) together could have resulted in (lets for a moment even forget the fact that it is a an awfully buggy device - the new 3G version, that is)! Unfortunately, that was not to be.
For the price INR 31K (thats $700! @44), iPhone will have to be satisfied with a couple of thousand units in sale - if they are lucky. Wish some telco really had the guts to come out with a $200, roughly (INR 8800) iPhone. Imagine what a crowd that would have resulted in. I'm sure the headlines would have been something like - 'Total Traffic Chaos. Delhi roads blocked on the new iPhone launch'. I'm sure those who have seen the real India would agree - we are a billion strong magnets (suckers) for mobile phones priced right. I'm sure a million units could have been sold in the first few weeks then - imagine the ARPU these could have generated (iPhone is a proven data services guzzler).
Well, nothings lost, iPhone's loss will be Samsungs', Nokias' and Sony Ericssons' gain! It only means that I will have to contend with my taxi driver holding on to his Nokia N 70!
1 comment:
Rightly said!!! Well iPhone in US has been launched at $199 only after At&T decided to subsidize the cost only to make sure that it raised the monthly subscription rates. You must be aware that if the math is done over a period of two years AT&T is extracting an extra $50 per subscriber. This proves that US mobile industry is heavily controlled by the service provider.
Whereas, India is a market where "customer is king". Considering that the INdian consumer changes his cell phone in less than two years contract systems dont work and hence subsidizing the iPhone is not possible.
I am dying to see Nokia's touchscreen phone in December 2008.
Check out LG Dare!! Its lovely..
Post a Comment