Airtel To Launch 3G iPhone In October

Airtel and Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) will launch the iPhone 3G in India this year. Airtel President and CEO Manoj Kohli is quoted by HT stating the device will available by mid-October. Vodafone however has refused to comment. Both the operators haven’t shared pricing details. Apple’s revised pricing has given my previous post a shining black eye. We had earlier predicted the average pricing of the 2G phones to be Rs 21k (8GB) and around 25k (16GB). The 3G versions will be Rs 8k (8GB) and Rs 12k (16GB), although subject to a 2 year contract in the States. If 3G policy shapes up by year-end and the 3iPhone is able to land at a similar price point, it could turn out to be a great entry buy and sell for both consumers and operators. Besides, being location aware would help operators like RComm (Reliance Technology Ventures has funded Whrrl, the first iPhone app development venture to be funded) to position it based on local services rather than only price cuts. Meanwhile, after having paid twice the amount for a fatter 16GB 2G version, buyers remorse has robbed me of life, appetite and sleep. Thankfully, there is comfort in numbers, I am not the only one to have bitten that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL).