Where to buy an iPhone in India

There are plenty of websites and people willing to sell the iPhone in India unlocked, so I thought I'd compile a list to make it easier for people to find places near them to get an iPhone. (No shortage of people wanting to buy an iPhone in India, see an unofficial poll here)

Most of the places selling iPhones are either in Mumbai or Delhi. Hopefully there will be sellers in other cities also, who come forward to sell the iPhone. Or you could always get it delivered to your home.

These are some of the sites, people, places where an iPhone may be available in India...
(Warning - I cant verify the authenticity of any of these sites, Buy at your own risk. It might be a good idea to ask for more information)
(If you would like your site or name to be added to this list, please post in the comments section, along with a brief description of the price, location, etc and I'll make sure your Site/Address/Phone number is added to the list in a day or two.)

1> http://www.iphonenirvana.net/

2> Rediff Shopping (Really Expensive !)

3> iphoneimporter@gmail.com (from here)

(iPhone is available with me in Delhi, India, limited stock.

These are Unlocked to work with all GSM Operators (Airtel, Hutch, Idea, MTNL, BSNL etc.)

1) Iphone 4GB version shall cost Rs.19,990
2) Iphone 8GB shall cost Rs.29,650.

Add Rs.450 for Blue Dart shipping anywhere within India. Phone will ship from Delhi.

Payment can be remitted in our ICICI account or you can send a DD.

If someone picks up from Delhi shipping charges will be waived.

You can email me at: iphoneimporter@gmail.com

Cheers!)

4> roshan said...
if anyone intersted 8gb iphone brand new than let me know 09879899955 me in mumbai can send anywhere...

5>Wavetel Mobiles

6> GadgetsGuru

7> Gadgets.in

Mundu IM Brings Instant Messaging to the iPhone

LONDON, November 8 /PRNewswire/ --

- Free Service to Fill Instant Messaging Void for iPhone

Geodesic Information Systems today announced a brand new member of their
Mundu(TM) product line, Mundu IM - iPhone Edition, specifically designed and
optimized to work with the Apple Safari web browser on the iPhone. Mundu IM,
winner of multiple industry awards and a leader in Mobile Instant Messaging,
has been completely customized for the iPhone and is the only IM application
that provides users the unique look and feel that they have come to expect
from native iPhone applications.

With Mundu IM - iPhone Edition, iPhone users will have access to seamless
chat across leading IM services MSN(R), Yahoo(R), Google Talk(R) and AIM(R).
Apart from simultaneous login to multiple IM services and managing online
presence with custom status messages, Mundu IM has innovative features like
search and remove buddies, send smilies and quick texts as well as the
ability to remember username and passwords.

Equipped with the most advanced web browsing capability ever on mobile
phones, the iPhone ushers in a completely new generation of mobile devices.
Geodesic is geared to leverage the iPhone platform to enable its users to
experience the power and convenience of instant messaging while on the move.

Research conducted by Capgemini predicts instant messaging will soon
overtake text messaging as a form of communication, forecasting 32% of UK
mobile customers using an IM service by 2012, sending as many as 15-18
messages per day. With users able to access IM services and keep in touch
with friends via Mundu IM on the iPhone, this forecast may not be far away.

"We optimized Mundu IM for the iPhone and other next generation mobile
devices," said Arvinder Gujral, Director Product Marketing of Geodesic. "We
are excited to provide this invaluable service to O2 iPhone customers so that
they won't miss a single beat when communicating with friends and colleagues
on the iPhone, whether it's talking or instant messaging. Apple has a firm
user-friendly ethos and the simplicity of Mundu IM makes it an ideal
application for iPhone users."

Mundu IM - iPhone Edition adds to the mobile suite of products including
the recent announcement of Mundu(TM) IM version 4.0, compatible with Palm(R),
Windows(R) Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC and Sony-Ericsson devices.

Users can access Mundu IM on their iPhone browsers at
http://iphone.mundu.com

Source

Wanna Unlock your IPhone in India ?

Raza Noorani (20) and Nigel Jairaj (21); main occupation: B.Com students; side occupation: unlocking Apple iPhones (till recently, it was cracking PSPs)...

Apple Computer may delude itself that the India launch of its iconic iPhone is slated for not before next year, but iPhones are proliferating ever since the gizmo's US launch about a month and a half back. Both Noorani and Jairaj are ready to swear by this!

Today, you can get an iPhone for around Rs 31,000 from 'Alpha Electronics'; for about Rs 27,000 from 'Heera Panna'; for somewhere between Rs 27,000 and Rs 30,000 from any custom-notified shop. A month and a half back, the prices per iPhone were in the region of Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000.

The gray market has its own sources for sourcing these iPhones; the usual suspects being contacts in customs, or carriers who come to India loaded with iPhones, or simply people who travel to- and fro- between India and the US.

"You've paid for the iPhone. The tie-up is between Apple and AT&T. It's their problem entirely. So there's no big deal about using iPhones in India, way before their official launch," quip Noorani and Jairaj.

The duo use a Windows-based software for unlocking iPhones. Originally into cracking PSPs, their iPhone foray began with a night well spent fiddling with a friend's iPhone. The morning saw the iPhone unlocked, much to their delight. That's how they got hooked onto the idea.

Subsequently, they bought an iPhone SIM free unlocking software online for nearly GBP 70, and have been cracking iPhones since -- for a price!

Customers based out of Mumbai are charged Rs 2,000, while those based outside of Mumbai (even outside of India) are charged Rs 2,500 per unlocking. In case of the latter, CDs containing software are sent to these customers, after which Noorani and Jairaj instruct them over the phone as to unlocking of their iPhones.

Otherwise, the process takes place pretty much from the comfort of Noorani- and Jairaj's homes. All they need is the iPhone that is to be unlocked, the accompanying USB cable, and a computer with Windows XP Service Pack 2. No need for an Internet connection.

Within a span of 15 to 20 minutes, a single iPhone gets unlocked. However, each iPhone is different by virtue of the fact that it's been manufactured under a different batch. To that extent, the unlocking process differs from phone to phone.

All said, Noorani and Jairaj are not alone in this venture. Some of the shops in Heera Panna, and a handful of individuals in this city claim to be able to unlock iPhones.

However, doing a good job is an entirely different story. Every now and then, the youngsters get customers coming to them, who've bought 'unlocked' phones from somewhere for a hefty price, and whose phones are now no longer working properly. It's up to the twosome to fix these iPhones. They say they charge about Rs 500 for fixing such iPhones, simply because they don't want to fleece customers who've already been fleeced more or less.

Besides, they've undergone a similar experience. They recall a gruelling week spent working for a shop in Heera Panna, within which time, they would've unlocked at least 30 iPhones a day. But, were paid just Rs 1,000 per unlocking, while the shop charged its customers up to Rs 4,000 only in unlocking charges per iPhone.

Going-it-alone, are they making much moolah? They won't tell but looks like it's enough to keep them going!

Source

The French and their iPhone....

Apple iPhone fans could get French bargain

By Claudine Beaumont

Gadget fans eagerly awaiting this evening's UK launch of the Apple iPhone could save their money and buy an unlocked handset in France instead, thanks to a loophole in French telecommunications law.

The iPhone, which costs £269, goes on sale in Britain at 6.02pm tonight, and iPhone owners will have to sign up to an 18-month contract with O2, Apple's exclusive iPhone carrier in the UK. Apple has signed exclusive network deals with mobile phone operators in several countries, including AT&T in the US, T-Mobile in Germany, and Orange in France.

But under French law, all mobile phones have to be offered unlocked, so that customers can use them on any network they wish. It means that in theory, British consumers could travel to France, buy an unlocked iPhone and then use it with their regular network in the UK, without having to sign up to an O2 tariff, which start from £35 per month.

However, it's highly unlikely that Apple will make it that easy for customers to get hold of unlocked iPhones and it is thought that Apple and Orange are working closely together to find a solution before the iPhone goes on sale in French stores on November 29.



Ben Woods, an analyst with CSS Insight, expects Apple to make it as difficult as possible for "iPhone tourists" to pick up an unlocked handset. "There are three things Apple could do to resolve this problem. The first is to make the price of an unlocked French device very high, at least two or three times the price of an Orange-locked handset, although that may not be allowed under French law because it could be seen as undermining the idea of customer choice and the reason phones have to be sold unlocked. But you can guarantee that if they make it very expensive, people will think twice.

"The second is to ensure the devices only support the French language, so unless you are bilingual, you will find it impossible to use. "The third option depends on the nature of the legislation. It is not clear whether French law demands that phones are unlocked to work on any network in the world or just networks in France. If it's just French networks, then Apple could ensure that unlocked iPhones will only work in France."

A number of customers couldn't wait until the iPhone's UK release and instead imported the handset from the US. It meant that in order to use the phone, they had to register with AT&T and pay expensive roaming rates when using the handset in the UK.

To get around this problem, many users hacked their phones to unlock them and allow them to run on any network, but Apple has warned customers that such action invalidates the warranty, and that future iPhone software updates may conflict with hacks, leaving the device unusable. Apple and O2 are expecting bumper sales of the iPhone this Christmas.

The device combines and iPod music player with a web browser and a phone, and was recently named Invention of the Year by Time.

Source

iPhone reaches Europe

By Nicola Leske and Kate Holton

FRANKFURT/LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Apple fans queued through the night in Germany and Britain to be among the first in Europe to buy an iPhone, the must-have gadget that is set to shake up the mobile industry.

Over 10,000 iPhones were sold by Friday afternoon in Germany, a T-Mobile spokeswoman said, after it went on sale at midnight in a Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) shop in Cologne.

"It was love at first sight," said one 50-year-old man.

T-Mobile representatives handed out blankets and umbrellas as well as hot tea, coffee and pretzels for those waiting outside, before sales staff cheered loudly as the first customers entered the store.

In Britain, fans had to wait until 1800 GMT before the music-playing, Web-browsing phone went on sale at stores from Apple, mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse and mobile operator O2.

The queue outside central London's main Apple store stretched around the corner and long lines also formed in the city's financial area.

First in the queue, clutching a mug of steaming tea, was student Graham Gilbert, who arrived at 0830 GMT on Thursday and endured a wet and cold night on the street.

Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica's O2 and Carphone have pinned high hopes on the iPhone after more than a million sold in the United States in a few months.

"It's probably the most important phone this year in terms of the impact it will have on the mobile phone market but it's going to be a long way from being a best seller," CCS analyst Ben Wood told Reuters.

"But one of the things that Apple do very well is they spend a lot of time thinking about the consumer experience and we're going to see their competitors taking more of that approach."

Most analysts expect the device to be popular with a niche audience, in part due to its price tag, and those queuing on Friday in Germany and Britain were mostly young men.

Most European handsets are subsidised in return for long-term contracts but the iPhone costs 399 euros ($585) in Germany and customers must agree a two-year contract with T-Mobile for monthly fees between 49 and 89 euros.

In Britain the iPhone costs 269 pounds ($568) on top of an 18-month contract costing a minimum of 35 pounds per month.

"It's a magnificent product and it's very well marketed by Apple," said Greenwich Consulting's Fred Huet. "The real question will be how many they sell once the novelty wears off."

The phone will go on sale in France at the end of the month.

(Reporting by Kate Holton, Peter Griffiths, Alastair Sharp in London and Nicola Leske and Georgina Prodhan in Germany, Editing by David Cowell)

Source