Cultist Americans in New York, all geared to camp overnight in front of Apple Stores to be the first buyers of that exospherically, hyped new gizmo ....Tech Reviewers heralding it as the next best thing after sliced bread… Bloggers christening it 'Jesus Phone' and currently throwing up 105 million hits on Google.
Few things command such hype and a fan following that rivals on religious fervor. When Apple came out with the iPod, it revolutionized the way people listened to music with its signature looks, the innovative click wheel and trademark Apple style and user interface. With the release of the iPhone it seems like Apple is ready to do it again.
For those of you who came in late, the iPhone is not just another high end phone. It's without doubt the best iPod till date combined with all the capabilities of a PDA phone running Mac OS with Safari Browser with inbuilt Wi-Fi and controlled entirely by a 3.5 inch touch screen. All this coupled with looks and style which may not even cause guilt if you ever feel like stealing it. The iPhone priced at $499 for the 4 GB and $599 for the 8 GB is expensive, but then again the features and status it carries justify the premium it commands.
However, the limiting factor for Indian consumers is not going to be the cost but the availability. Not only are there are no plans to release the iPhone in India anytime soon but buying it from the US will not work either. This is because Apple has launched the iPhone in association with specific service providers like AT&T in the US. This means the iPhone is factory locked to be used only with service providers that Apple has tied up with. It’s likely that the same strategy will be adopted here. For starters, Apple will certainly not release unlocked pieces in India which in all probability could find their way to the US. Number portability (ability to change service providers without changing numbers) has not yet been implemented in India and the inconvenience of changing numbers may translate to a hit in sales.
Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung will be quick to bring their own rival models at a lower price. Sony Ericsson will try and compete with the yet to be released W960i. Nokia has plans to roll out a similar touch screen-based phone in a few months. So when the iPhone finally makes its debut in India it will clearly face stiff competition against established players in a crowded market. The future is uncertain but one thing is for sure: it began with the iPhone.
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Neil writes for chillibreeze.
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