iPhone - PreOrders in India

I’m in India this week. This morning I texted Vodafone India 57456 / iPhone. I’m yet another “Indian” who’s lodged their interest in buying the iPhone the minute it is released. Pretty slick on Vodafone’s part. Instant assessment of demand, no confirmation of the launch date.

Later I walked into Imagine, Apple’s premier reseller in India. While there I overheard a couple of people wanting to register and secure their iPhone for the launch date. Interest is through the roof. The store manager told me…. India will get a special iPhone version 3gb (???) and this will sell for about 8999 rupees and thus hit the $200 pricepoint promised by Steve Jobs at WWDC. The 8GB and 16GB will also be available. I heard 15000 for 8gb and roughly 20000 for 16gb.

He was also promising that the iPhone will have a solar recharger within two years… and said he gets most of his info via MacRumors. So we will see.

I made the observation earlier that India will soon be the largest iPhone market on earth. My guess is the run rate / sale of iPhones will eclipse the US from the day they launch here. I’d also note that the market leader has a big problem with their N-Series. Apple’s pricing is aggressive and going to undercut everything that is comparable…. OUCH!

BTW - my ZiPhoned iPhone works just perfect here! At the restaurant on Sunday I saw two being used by locals on tables next to mine. Big status statement at the moment too.