Apple iPhone 5 to hit India on November 2, App Store gets Rupee pricing
The much-awaited Apple iPhone 5 will hit Indian retail shelves on November 2, according to sources close to Apple. So far, pricing has not yet been revealed. In the meanwhile, Apple has introduced local Rupee currency pricing for the iTunes App Store.
Redington India and Ingram Micro have been appointed as the master distributors of the iPhone 5, and will be responsible for providing the device to the two Apple carriers (Aircel and Airtel). Other resellers will also be able to procure the iPhone 5 from the two distributors, and sell it with their own markup.
Hence, users can expect pricing to differ across resellers and carriers – however, Apple may end up controlling the pricing. Expected pricing of the iPhone 5 ranges from Rs. 45,000 for the 16GB model, to Rs. 65,000 for the 64GB model. Apple could however, price the 16GB model lower, if it decides on a more aggressive model. U.S pricing for the unlocked 16GB iPhone 5 is $649, translating to roughly Rs. 35,000, excluding duties.
With the new FDI rules, Apple’s plans of opening its own retail store in India have been thwarted, with the company required to source 30 percent of its product sales from local companies.
Apple’s introduction of Rupee pricing in its App Store is a boon for both users and developers, with more transparency for both parties when buying and pricing apps. Google has had local currency support on the Google Play store for a while now, but only recently introduced seller support in the country – after a long wait.
According to a TOI report, most of the Indian telecom operators are ready with the Nano SIM cards required by the iPhone 5, so users can expect to start using the device from launch date itself.
Already, almost all Indian carriers are ready with nano SIM cards to support iPhone 5. The demand for the iPhone 5 in India has already been vast, with the device selling well at a massive premium via online retailers who are importing the device, and the grey market. The top-end versions of the device have been famously selling in India for more than Rs. 1 lakh, a staggering investment for a mobile phone.
Currently, the iPhone 5 is available for pre-order on online retail sites such as Infibeam, who are charging a Rs. 5,000 booking amount – and promise to reveal the price only after launch.
Source: TOI