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Home » Features » Smart Mobile » What You Need to Know About the iPhone 3G
What You Need to Know About the iPhone 3G
By: Shayne Rana   |   Jul 11, 2008

With regard to India, what’s in store for us? In truth, we don’t know. Yes, the handset is 3G, but that's quite useless. It’s coming only via Vodafone and Airtel, so big whoop for those users, but what about us BPL losers? The 3G iPhone hasn’t been jailbroken yet, so forget about the gray market. Lastly, the official release date has not been set, nor the pricing. Is it any wonder I'm beginning to sound antsy?

To top it all, the iPhone still has its shortcomings. Considering this is the iPhone's second coming, we could be forgiven for assuming that Apple would have fixed some of the initial issues and added the features it lacked. Sadly, no. Perhaps third time lucky?

Some Knotty Questions
Some questions that come to mind regarding the India launch are:

  • What does the iPhone 3G mean for fans who happen to be on BPL or other networks? Will we have to sign up with a different company?
  • What do we do with the old iPhones? Since a new dock is required we can't even use the same accessory. Should we just give them away?
  • Lastly, what kind of schemes will Vodafone and Airtel offer with the iPhone 3G? Will I have to be tied in by a contract like in the US, and will the rates also increase?
  • Just one last itsy-bitsy question: when is it going to launch here?

Too many questions, and not many answers (sigh). Readers, your feedback will be greatly appreciated and so will your views on how you think the iPhone 3G will fare in india. Mail me, leave a comment below, or start a thread on our forums. Let us know what you think.

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what would be the expected price and when they are launching the iphone in india...?????
pro @ Jul 30, 2008
i want 2 delete photos in my i phone, how can i delete
sunny @ Jul 29, 2008
Saurav,iPhone is not available for $200 ,it is just the product and then u hav 2 sign a 3year contract with AT&t and pay $30 every month to own the iPhone
So,it is 'nt Rs 8,000
Sidhant Garg @ Jul 27, 2008
yes,it will be available in white but only the 16 gb
Sidhant Garg @ Jul 27, 2008
WILL THE I PHONE 3G BE AVAILABLE IN OTHER COLORS APART FROM BLACK....?
Dilip @ Jul 27, 2008
no BT file transfer?no fm radio?
that sux
abhishek @ Jul 24, 2008
now i phone is based on 3G technology and i m sure many of its feautres will not be activated wen we will be using it here so i want to ask tht will it be a gud n smart decision to buy an i-phone wen there r more gud smart phones available in market well we ppl dnt know abt its price as well as we got to hv vodafone or airtel connectionz and many more flawz
jayant mukharjee @ Jul 21, 2008
well surely i phone is coolest gadget in market now . but i want to know the camera capabilities of it ,it is mentioned nowhere in the media
pavan m @ Jul 20, 2008
how about its playback of video files??????
Meyyappan @ Jul 20, 2008
does it have video capability?
santosh @ Jul 19, 2008
Can I download mp3 files from my pc to iphone ? do u know? email me with details . email: dhaneesh.c@live.com
Dhaneesh @ Jul 19, 2008
Pleasssss mail me what is the price of i-phone 3G .. My budget is Rs.17000
Prashant @ Jul 18, 2008
are iphone 3G available in India
Shanu Agrawal @ Jul 17, 2008
is iphone2 available in indian grey mrkt if it is what r the prices like.........
karan @ Jul 16, 2008
my view is instead buying iphone i will go with HTC which is good with all features and it easy for me to buy
Durai murugan G @ Jul 15, 2008
wondering what is the point in having a phone that can not forward any sms etc., any business we require this minimum requirement. More over conferencing with 2 & more persons ?
Purushotam @ Jul 15, 2008
No Matter How many comments i read but i surely agree with gaurav that the phone
IS NOT WORTH IF IT DOESNT HAVE A BLUETOOTH TO SHARE
after all its all about communicating!
Abhayjeet @ Jul 15, 2008
Hi ,
I want no if we import this from us , uk or somewhere , it will work properly here ? What About Its speaker quality ? Whats your review ,& comments on this phone ?
Harsh @ Jul 14, 2008
Hi

I searched how to buy iPhone 3G in India & Apple India site is giving two options Vodafone & Airtel. Depending on your existing connectivity you have to register & book your phone online and the carriers will update you accordingly. No more info is available.
suvadeep @ Jul 14, 2008
when Iphone 3g will launch in india ? when we can buy this ?
kundan @ Jul 14, 2008
as far as i know the speaker quality of the original iphone sucked big time.
on full volume it was like listenng to my tv set at a vlume of 1.
its not audible at all..
is that going to change wid the new iphone?
dhruv @ Jul 14, 2008
Hello,
I am Nitin i want to know about the price of This apple Iphone 3G.
Nitin Bhardwaj @ Jul 14, 2008
No matter how many reviews one reads, pictures one looks at, or for that matter videos, 360 degree views and so on. . . . .

Nothing can tell you what it's like using the iphone in real life. That touch screen alone, is worth buying the phone for!

And of course, the brilliant OS X mobile, which works as fast as your fingers can, which is not something I shall say for the countless windows mobile phones i've used.

Anyway. . . as far as pricing. . . it'll be interesting to see how it's priced in india. . . where we've long back given up on handsets being "network locked". Return of an era maybe?

Perhaps, they'll just price it at a non subsidized rate or something, and sell it off ?

Only time will tell !!

Let's see if they can price it sub 20K. . . sweet!
Paras Kamdar @ Jul 14, 2008
this iphone 3g creating a buzz worldwide is of no use. its great in looks , but on downside it doesnt have a bluetooth , that's so basic in even 5k phone's, its surely not worth it. considring d price. hey guys & girls any1 has a lot of money can buy it but .
Nikhil Rane @ Jul 13, 2008
Mr Manish Jeenwal,

I think your statement on iPhone price really ambitious. In US, the price is subsidized by the provider in the form of long term contract. This contract makes people to sign hefty monthly plans which is around $50-$100 based on various services.

People who have already purchased iPhone only can get it for $200 or so.

Vodafone/Airtel already mentioned they are NOT going to subsidize iPhone price and will force Indian customers to pay not less than Rs 21K for 8 GB and Rs28K for 16 GB
Amar @ Jul 13, 2008
my friend inquired about iphone at vodafone shop and was told that the bookings are open and he can book it by paying 2000 rupees as advance.....the postpaid plan is nt decided as of now...but the pricing will be at Rs. 8200 for 8 gb version and 12500 for 16 gb version.....and u can get Rs. 500 deducted if u dont want data cable and earphones....and it is scheduled for a diwali launch by both airtel and vodafone.....
manish jeenwal @ Jul 13, 2008
Hey,
For people who think iPhone is good they should take a look at other PDAs(fr people going fr 25k version) n Smartphones(fr people going fr 16k version) being offered by HTC IMate Samsung SonyEricson because they have much more to offer than the iPhone and being the one using a O2 mini S i dont find the iPhone that intresting n i bought my phone @22k n it has a slider keyboard . So in the end i would like say if u r willing to pay arnd 20k u should have a right to Bluetooth! the Photos u take wid ur i phone. Also the right to forward a nice SMS joke that u want to share wid the people u care for.

COMMENTS WELCOME

PS People considering other phones:

There are phones that r far cooler than the iPhone

HTC diamond,touch
SE Xerpia X1
Samsun U900
are some of them
Gaurav Katiyar @ Jul 12, 2008
its a good phone for music lovers, but not a worthy one for users like me who r always on travel. it doesnt have a document reader, complete bluetooth package. it quite disheartning. and at the last the pricing is such that it will be common gizmo in almost all hands, as 8000 is not a big price to pay. so apple must include a document reader , complte blueetooth package in it. i dont know how some newspaper has rated it the wprlds third best smartphone. well ur review was very good as it gave a complete idea of the phone.

even i wa waiting for the l;aunch of the phone, and have read all ur segements regarding that. please give some info about the upcoming sets of sony and nokia.as i m waiting to buy one in the range of 16000. for which one shud i go??? or should i wait??? please reply.
Abhishek @ Jul 12, 2008
Can we buy an IPhone3g form US and jailbreak it and use Airtel @ 800buckz.....
Rohith @ Jul 12, 2008
Can someone get it from US in 8000 bucks and then jailbreak it here
Don @ Jul 12, 2008
can the 3g version also be jailbroken?
Aditya @ Jul 12, 2008
The actual cost of an iphone is roughly $499. the $199 price is because the service providers are providing it at a subsidy (they r actually taking a $300 hit). but they hope to recuperate the amount thru 3G usage rates and text messaging extras; not to mention call/ voice charges which r quite high in the US. in India, @ re1 per minute, don't expect any concessions on the iphone, and get prepared to pay the full $499 price (approx Rs. 21,000). so all those salivating over the $199 price, lick it back in. :)
Sayanhya Roy @ Jul 12, 2008
n 1more thing.,if u want 2 get complete features of iphone,u gotta do some jailbreak..search google n ull get the instructions...with a jailbroken iphone u can download many applications (FREE) thru net ,which othrwise costs u a lot if not jailbroken.....
BUT IF U JAILBREAK UR IPHONE ,U WILL LOSE THE WARRANTY :(
However,iphone is not tht useful without jailbreaking.(whn compared 2 jailbroken one)...Frankly,ive jailbroken my iphone and it rocks...n fortunately,this stuff has got a restore feature so u can restore it 2 orginal (like whn it ws bought)...so u dont need 2 worry abt jailbreaking.,aftr all,v gadget freaks need some freakout apps ,dont v ? so i wud recommend evry1 2 jailbreak it aftr u buy...thnx again..
Nav @ Jul 12, 2008
hey,i hav the old iphone,and all i can say is tht it rocks...guys it was expensive,n ws shocked 2 hear tht i wil b out for jz rs.8000+ ...omg,guyz u really need u buy this...it has got lots n lots of application which u can download via wi-fi or THROUGH PC (using some jailbreak stuffs)...guys,the touch screen is very sensitive and SCRATCH RESISTANT..search 'ipod scratch test' on youtube and the video mght shock u...Definitely,its worth the price(older)..so u can guess how lucky u guyz r 2 get this one for a low price!!! n abt the applications,they r really really awesome...most of the games uses accelerometer ..wht more can i say,u gotta buy this stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thnx guyz....
Nav @ Jul 12, 2008
Sure iPhone will make a big hit.. But it has got lack of features.. First of all it will be tied to only two networks Vodafone and Airtel, No Bluetooth to other phones, No Radio , 2 MP Camera , Restriction of file transfer, No J2ME Games , 3G network is not available in India ..
Kevins @ Jul 12, 2008
Lets face it, iPhone 3G is not really 'here' .

Common, why do you ignore or forget your website has Indian visitors and you should truely report them on products going to be available here or when are they going to be available. I hate it that i have to repeatedly comment this and you keep ignoring that 'Fact' .

Peace
Anshuman @ Jul 11, 2008
doez d 3g i phone ave the multiple message sendin capability n video capturing, though the camera iz nt too strong but userz expect a loot by the low definatn cameraa too cauz dey aint ave ny choice..........
rohtash @ Jul 11, 2008
Dear Saurav i think u need to go through details again. The iphone will cost nearly 18k for 8gb and 25k for 16gb. 8k is for thus using AT&T i US only.
saif @ Jul 11, 2008
wel, there is no 3G network here!!!!!!!!!
Richeek @ Jul 11, 2008
iPhone will a big hit in India. There is no doubt about it. The hype, me too and show off factor will set things racing in iPhone's favour even if the phone is not worth it. Now the big question why I will buy it? I am too fascinated by the things it can do.
Mandeep Sahni @ Jul 11, 2008
People buy an ipod for 3-4 thousand rupees. So why not buy a mobile phone+ipod+a very good web browser+a lovely screen+a gr8 os for rs.8000 or so?
Guys who post some nonsense comment about iphone are basically idiot.
Saurav Ghosh @ Jul 11, 2008
Its just a bad..Apple are de best ppl in creating a hype..
It does have some really cool features..but it makes you piss off to de same extend..
And ppl who are thinkin of using it as ipod touch @ cheap cost..don ever dream..as de monthly phone charges ll be whooping sums..
De AT&T rates if you hear ll understand that only Tata and Birla can afford it..its £35/month for 500min talktime and 300 msgs..£75 for 3000 min and 1000msgs..howz that..
Rohan @ Jul 11, 2008
Yeah VeeDee, Looks like U r gr8 fan of iPhone. I understand a revolutionary product. But, doesn't agree about the feature and it's actual usage.
So, only we can c its feature once we ll find in our hand...so let's wait and watch....
ritesh @ Jul 11, 2008
i am not gonna go for an Iphone just yet. I would wait for a fully grown-up Iphone with features fully loaded, till then I am happy with my N82 (read: features fully loaded). Iphone wont succeed in India. One Reason: Bluetooth without A2DP and NO bluetooth file transfer.
AmitW @ Jul 11, 2008
alrite is this another hype from apple...no video recording,a 2mp camera without a flash...fit for nothin iphone....
crosswire @ Jul 11, 2008
@ ritesh, dude you seem to have some misconception.

MP3 ringtones = iPhoneRingtoneaker

Ever heard of it?

And yeah, all you people complaining about the phone, you dont know what this phone can do. Imagine doing something like controlling your home PC with full functionality from anywhere around the world with any other phone...
VeeDee @ Jul 11, 2008
Who said it's a flop, All the stores in the world today are running out of stock. In india you should book the phone otherwise it will be a nightmare.
Rams @ Jul 11, 2008
Everything for IPhone boils down to price in India. Moreover, it looks just like a IPod with some mobile features. So, will wait to see the proper fully loaded Iphone. Other shortcoming is, one can’t use your mp3 files as ringtones.
And moreover, what I heard that to get the Iphone in US, you need to give your credit details like Security number, credit card history etc.... This is height......
But, again it's a much hyped phone with the great UI....
Ritesh @ Jul 11, 2008
yess... i agree... bluetooth is definately a dire need for the indian market...i wud buy it soleybcoz of the hype and also coz i have never used an apple...otherwise the people here cant do w/o video capture and mmses.
dgm @ Jul 11, 2008
"Just one last itsy-bitsy question: when is it going to launch here?"

It's going to launch in September. And apart from the initial hype which'll bring in the masses,,it's gonna be a flop..

Reason?? The bulk of us "Bluetooth Maniacs" will be severely disappointed due to lack of open file transfers. and 2MP plain jane camera isn't bringing in anyone.
Karthik Kumar @ Jul 11, 2008
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