India Inc Divided On Iphone Vs Blackberry

[Honest 836]

India Inc divided on iPhone vs BlackBerry

25 Jun, 2008, 1038 hrs IST

NEW DELHI: Apple's iconic iPhone may not yet be here but India Inc has already fallen for it. Several top honchos have opted for the stylish iPhone. Not surprisingly the launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone in India on July 11 could see more people switching to the touch and motion sensing capabilities of the cool handset. It could give BlackBerry, the business tool of executives some serious competition.

For instance, Helion Partners managing partner Kanwalinder Singh, Radisson MBD executive director Sonika Malhotra and Maruti Udyog IT GM Rajesh Uppal are already using the iPhone. Others like Indian Premier League CEO Sundar Raman, Contests2Win founder CEO Raj Menon, HP India imaging & printing group vice-president Ravi Aggarwal are eagerly waiting to buy the iPhone when it’s launched here. Says Rajesh Uppal, GM, IT Maruti Udyog: “I have shifted to the iPhone six months ago and find it excellent.. And I am definitely going to buy a second iPhone and utilise its full potential.”

Some like the iPhone style. MBD Group executive director Sonika Malhotra says: “More than anything it’s the style factor which attracted me to the iPhone. The touch screen pad and the user experience is good. But I still keep a Nokia.”

Apple has announced that it will launch its 2G and 3G phones in India next month. Corporate world’s business tool, the BlackBerry 2G phones—Pearl and Curve cost Rs 24,990 in the Indian market—available from service providers like Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance. On the other hand, the Apple 2G iPhone is pegged to cost Rs 22,000 available from Airtel and Vodafone in India.

Apple’s 3G phone launched this month will also be available in India at a price of around $299 (Rs 12,000) and $199 (Rs 8,000). BlackBerry is also planning to launch its 3G phone – Bold – this year. The disadvantage with an iPhone is that it does not offer MMS facility. Some corporati are eagerly awaiting the July launch of Apple iPhone but some plan to still swear by the age old BlackBerry Pearl.

Says Ravi Aggarwal of HP India: “I use a BlackBerry for checking e-mails but a Nokia for voice mails and an Apple i-pod for music. However, I plan to buy Apple iPhone as soon as it’s launched in India.” Adds Rajiv Hiranandani , Country Head and Co-founder Mobile2win: “I use Nokia, Motorola and also love my BlackBerry and don’t plan to switch to Apple anytime soon because of some compatibility issues with a Laptop.” Subhinder Singh Prem, MD, Reebok India also does not feel the need to buy an iPhone.

Some top managers like Indian Premier League CEO Sundar Raman want to try the iPhone for the curiosity factor. “I have been using a BlackBerry phone and am quite happy with its performance. However, I would certainly look forward to the iPhone and there’s no reason why I don’t buy it if I find it good enough.”

Deepanshu Sharma, GM Marketing AMD India says: “The moment iPhone is available in India, I would buy at least one though am satisfied with a BlackBerry.”

BlackBerry has come up with a counter strategy to Apple’s iPhone globally. Recently, Research in Motion, the makers of BlackBerry announced that they will be launching the BlackBerry Bold smartphone to support triband HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access, a 3G mobile protocol) high-speed networks integrated with GPS and Wi-Fi. The price of Bold is still not known.

A BlackBerry carries extra security features with capability to wipe out entire data and make the phone unusable once if it’s lost. While the iPhone is heavier at 135 gm, BlackBerry weighs 89.5 gm. The iPhone has multi-touch , proximity sensor screen with a great media player and internet experience. But iPhone 3G does not allow users to edit documents (MS Word/Excel/PPT) on the device.

In Asia Pacific BlackBerry has corporate customers like Coca Cola, KPMG, Zurich Insurance, Bell Asia Pacific, Colliers International, NCR, Touchbase and StorageTek. The Bangalore Police has also partnered with BlackBerry to issue challans. BlackBerry has about 14 million customers globally. After the iPhone launch BlackBerry may see some its clients shifting to Apple.