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Vodafone set to offer Apple's iPhone in India

NEW DELHI: Gizmo freaks have reason to celebrate with Vodafone set to offer the Apple iPhone to its subscribers in India before 2008-end. The iPhone was first launched a year ago in the US with AT&T as an exclusive carrier. Its inaugural price was Rs 15,960 for 8GB and Rs 19,960 for 16GB with a two-year service agreement.

When contacted, Vodafone refused to divulge any further details regarding the date of launch, the model or the price. However, a company official promised that the price would be "competitive".

Vodafone will have to come up with a specific scheme in India to upgrade its existing customers to the iPhone as it is very likely that a vast majority of customers here will be from their existing prepaid customers spread across their 16 existing and 6 new circles.

It remains to be seen whether Vodafone will offer a return policy for these iPhones. In the US, AT&T offers a 14-day return policy provided the phone is returned at the original point of purchase.

Later this year, Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will also be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network. Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company by revenue, has been competing with operators and retailers to sell the iPhone, which is presently only available in the US, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland and Austria.

Usually, Apple signs a multi-year exclusive partnership where iPhone is only available with the wireless service from one carrier in one country.

In US, visual voice mail was the first example of a unique collaboration between AT&T and Apple. In India many such new innovations can be expected. The innovation between Apple and Vodafone could lead not only to new capabilities in the device but also to the network itself.

In US, the iPhone allows data access such as email, Google mail, You Tube, per connectivity with the 3G or EDGE network or from a local Wi-Fi connection.

The iPhone represents a whole new experience in mobile phone and internet usage to access broadband wireless. While in India, iPhones are purchased from the grey market or carried back from overseas visits, easy availability through Vodafone is bound to be very welcome.

The iPhone combines three amazing products a mobile phone, a wide screen iPod and a breakthrough internet device into one small, lightweight, hand-held device with the best e-mail ever on a mobile phone. It allows for full screen web browsing, multi touch screen and applications such as Google maps. The latest software update can now allow you to customize up to 9 home screen pages anyway you like.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com