Updated : Iphone 3g Out In India !

[Honest 836]

Apple iPhone may have some problems

21 Aug, 2008, 0320 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Can’t wait for that first bite at the new Apple iPhone on Friday? Well, you may want to visit technology websites, gadget blogs and even the company’s official discussion forums before jumping the gun. Just two days before the launch of the much-awaited 3G iPhone in India, the forums are being bombarded with complaints from users across the world about the new device’s reception problems, dropped calls and choppy internet connections.

In the meantime, Apple on Tuesday released a software (version 2.02 distributed via the iTune) to rectify problems with its new iPhone 3G. Apple was forced to respond after users increasingly complained of dropped calls and bad reception.

The 3G iPhone, which hit the showroom on July 11 2008 in the United States and 21 other countries, sold record one million handsets solely on its launch weekend. Its fate in India will only be tested over the coming weeks and months. While Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar are all set to offer the product here, market watchers share the view that the online backlash against this iconic handset is unlikely to dent its sale figures in India. “The maximum complaints have been about the dropped calls and poor quality of reception when this device is used over 3G networks. We will not have this problem in India as the country does not have 3G-enabled networks, (currently, all mobile services here work on second generation networks),” argued an industry executive.

Bharti Airtel did not comment when asked if the increasing number of reports in global media and the cyber community over glitches in the iPhone would impact sales here. Ditto Vodafone. However, an executive with one of these telcos said that Apple had assured his company it was looking into all complaints. “Apple has told us that it releases software updates to address any glitch as and when the matter is brought to their notice. So, if there are any issues with the 3G iPhone, Apple will solve it,” he added.

On Wednesday cyber space was once again filled with complaints from customers who said that the software released by Apple a day earlier did not solve their woes. Users say that despite downloading the software update, the new 3G iPhone frequently switches from the faster 3G networks to the older and slower EDGE (2.5G) network without warning or drops the data signal altogether. Even on 3G, some users are disappointed by the performance, which seems far short of Apple’s promise that it would be twice as fast as the old iPhone.

Users have also said that the new software has not led to faster web browsing speeds. A section of bloggers have been speculating that the earlier software update (version 2.0.1) is responsible for the bugs, but others claim it’s a problem with the Infineon HSDPA chipset. Apple, however, has so far failed to respond to the complaints satisfactorily. Blogs have been rife with speculation that the 3G iPhone has poor reception because its chip is programmed to seek out the best network. This according to tech blogs is the reason that iPhone at times chooses a slower 2G networks as these could be stronger then the 3G networks.

Globally, several users have also complained about some of the third-party applications on their handsets crashing or failing to launch. They have also added that this problem was generally accompanied by another more serious issue where music and other media get erased from the iPhone. Unconfirmed reports doing the rounds on the internet also add that the nature of the OS X operating system used for iPhone makes it vulnerable to the same hacking attacks and viruses as a desktop operating system. On the other hand, smartphones like BlackBerry using a JVM (Java Virtual Machines) are able to “box in” applications and block malicious code and/or applications.

[Honest 836]

Desi hackers get cracking on Apple iPhone

21 Aug, 2008, 1017 hrs IST,ET

KOLKATA: Hackers across the country are working overtime to find ways to unlock the SIM cards that will come with Apple’s iPhone once it is launched at the stroke of midnight on August 22. Since the SIM-locked iPhone will be sold by Airtel and Vodafone Essar, non-Airtel /Vodafone GSM subscribers won’t be able to use it unless codes are available to break the SIM lock.

While Airtel and Vodafone Essar executives aren’t ruling out the likelihood of the much-hyped phone being hacked within days of its India launch, the companies were unwilling to comment on the safeguards that have been put in place to keep hackers at bay.

However, a brand new way to unlock the phone is now available, in case the hacking software doesn’t work. A mobile phone expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ET: “If your iPhone is loaded with 04.02.13_G, the 1.1.2 firmware (read: the latest version), it cannot be unlocked with any software. A Turbo SIM card, available for upwards of Rs 1,500, does what a hacking software cannot do even for the latest version of iPhone. The manufacturers are claiming it will not get locked again—an issue that plagued earlier hacking methods.”

The Turbo SIM may not be available in India immediately , but one can always order it online or even do a Google to unravel ways to use the card to unlock the iPhone. Airtel and Vodafone officials remain unfazed. “SIM lock-related issues will have obviously been addressed by Apple.

The phe-nomenon isn’t new as codes to break the iPhone SIM locks have evolved in global markets where the phone has been launched. One cannot rule out such a phenomenon in India. But since the iPhone is being offered at a full-blown price in India, all network-related issues will have been factored in,” said a top Airtel executive.

Officials at Vodafone said: “We are launching the 3G iPhone in two variants—8 GB and 16GB. The operating system is proprietary of Apple and we cannot share any further details.” While both Vodafone and Airtel execs remain tightlipped on the actual operating system/version that will power the iPhone in India, ET has learnt the phone may be launched with the latest iPhone 2.0 software update.

If you are not an Airtel or Vodafone Essar user but are still keen to use the phone, you first need to find out the version of your iPhone. To find out the firmware (version ), open the emergency call menu on the iPhone and type *3001#12345#*, suggests a software spe-cialist .

Detailed instructions are available online, but the process basically involves copying the information from your SIM onto a Turbo SIM, and then switching your SIM for your carrier SIM. This al-lows the Turbo SIM to piggyback on your carrier SIM, and report-edly gives the phone full calling, SMS and EDGE capabilities. For older versions of the software, a quick search on Google will throw up a number of ways to unlock the SIM. Such software is freely avail-able on the internet.

[manishag 17]

i still didn't understand that why one should purchase the Iphone with these cheaters 1st pay such a high amount for the phone and then get bounded to these cheaters. Voda and Airtel biggest looters of India.

[Anupe 14]

Here is the official Airtel pricing announcement for the iPhone!!!

[Honest 836]

Airtel, Vodafone Bhaigiri on iPhone

21 Aug, 2008, 1032 hrs IST, INDIATIMES

NEW DELHI: If as a potential buyer, you were expecting at least one of the two operators to aggressively price Apple's 3G iPhone, here is more disappointing news.

The iconic iPhones to be sold by Bharti Airtel would carry identical price tag as those by Essar Vodafone.

Indiatimes Infotech had on Wednesday confirmed that Vodafone would price 8GB iPhone at Rs 31,000 and the 16GB model at Rs 36,100, putting paid to the hopes of a large number of potential buyers who were expecting a price tag closer to the US pricing by Apple and AT&T.

Many upset readers wrote in expressing their disappointment with the development.

Unlike Vodafone which confirmed the price to its potential buyers by way of an SMS on Wednesday morning, Airtel has so far said it will not reveal the pricing. However, in a poorly hidden secret, the company has inadvertently given its pricing away in the iPhone FAQs section on the site.

Incidentally, unlike Vodafone which sent out text messages, Airtel has sent e-mails to its pre-registered potential buyers. It has also asked them to deposit an amount of Rs 5,000. Vodafone had asked its prospective customers to visit the nearest Vodafone stores, and pay an advance of Rs 10,000 on August 20 and 21.

Both GSM operators have been authorised to sell iPhones in India by Apple unlike in most countries where the company has stuck to choosing only one operator for the sales.

However, sources in both operators told Indiatimes Infotech that Apple executives were controlling almost everything very closely, leaving very little elbow room for them. That includes pricing, mode of retail and publicity and branding material.

It now also appears certain that the handsets sold in India would be locked by the two operators akin to the BlackBerry handsets and service offered by the four Indian operators (Reliance and Tata Tele being the other two).

Since bundling of service is not done in India, the customers are not offered any subsidy by the operators on the sale of Blackberry handsets. Yet, the customers have no choice but to stay put with the respective operators, unless they change their handset.

The iPhone buyers too will face the same quandary. They would pay prices which are many times more than that paid by the users in markets like the US. AT&T users in US can buy the 8GB iPhone, for instance, for $199 (equivalent to Rs 8,500). Despite provisioning for 27 per cent duties, it still does not justify the hefty price tag of Rs 31,000 in India.

This is bound to dampen the spirits of a large number of prospective buyers who might look for options. And that is a prospect Apple's rivals -- Nokia, Research in Motion, Samsung, LG and Motorola -- would relish even as they feverishly gear up their product portfolio to take on iPhone.

[Ganesh 0]

I think stupid people will buy that in india with that stupid pricing. Anyway majority of the things are marketing hype

[Honest 836]

Nokia, Samsung, Motorola unperturbed by iPhone

Press Trust Of India / New Delhi August 21, 2008, 19:00 IST

As Apple's ultimate mobile gadget 'iPhone' prepares to conquer gizmo geeks in India, rival camps are anything but perturbed saying the iconic touchscreen phone was hardly a threat to their sales.

A lot of hype has been generated ahead of the launch of iPhone, which would be available at Rs 31,000 a piece for the 8Gb memory model and Rs 36,100 for 16GB from the stroke of midnight tonight.

Leading service providers Vodafone-Essar and Bharti Airtel, who have been accepting bookings from customers, have said the response has been extremely good.

Finland-based Nokia Corp, which dominates the Indian handset market, said that its sales would not be impacted by the launch. But the company's decision to launch its latest multimedia device N96 in India, almost a month ahead of global launch, speaks volumes about Nokia's concerns.

"Our sales will not be affected by the launch of iPhone in the country...There are different segments of consumers whose needs are different," Nokia India Director-Marketing Devinder Kishore had said.

Samsung, which also has music phones in its stable, said: "There is a global trend towards touchscreen handsets and we have a strong line-up available, which we are in the process of introducing globally and in India."

US major Motorola is of the view that heightened interest in mobile devices benefits the entire mobile device industry.

"The Indian mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. With the massive size of this industry, we believe, consumers should have a wide choice of products to choose from," Lloyd Mathias, senior director (Sales and Marketing), Motorola India, said.

[Honest 836]

iPhone at midnight: A fantasy turned sour?

21 Aug, 2008, 2146 hrs IST, INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK

NEW DELHI: In probably a first for a gadget launch in the country, iPhone lovers will be able to lay their hands on their favourite toy at midnight on August 22. To celebrate the launch, both service providers, Airtel and Vodafone, will keep their select stores in key metros open well past midnight. The companies have taken special permission for the same.

Airtel will open three of its stores, one each in national capital region of Delhi (read Gurgaon), Mumbai and Bangalore to cater to prospective iPhone buyers on a first-come-first-serve basis.

In NCR, the unveiling will take place at Airtel brand shop in Sahara Mall, Gurgaon. The company claimed that over 2 lakh prospective buyers had registered on its website for an iPhone. What it did not mention was the fact that it was before iPhone prices for India had been announced. At Rs 31,000 for the 8GB model, many a prospective customers may simply choose not to buy an iPhone.

Both, Airtel and Vodafone, expect a huge rush and people queueing up to lay their hands on the ultimate piece-de-resistence. However, it remains to be seen how many people eventually queue up to buy the iPhone at a price more than four times that in the US.

Unlike in other markets where iPhone sales have been marked by huge marketing and branding hype, there has been virtually no media blitzkrieg from the two service providers or from Apple prior to the Indian launch. Both GSM operators have been authorised to sell iPhone in India by Apple unlike in most countries where the company has stuck to choosing only one operator for the sales.

As reported by Indiatimes Infotech, Essar Vodafone had, on Wednesday text messaged its pre-registered customers that it would start selling the 8GB iPhone at Rs 31,000 and the 16GB model at Rs 36,100.

This has spelt disappointment for a large number of potential buyers who were expecting a price tag closer to US pricing. Many upset readers wrote in expressing their disappointment with the development.

Bharti Airtel, too, intimated its prospective buyers by mail on Thursday that the company would sell iPhones at exactly the same price as Essar Vodafone.

The two companies will be the first in the country to have a midnight launch of a tech product. The concept of a midnight launch did not exist in India until now, as authorities do not allow stores to remain open until midnight.

The reason behind the midnight launch could be many, right from anticipating iPhone frenzy like the one the world witnessed when the iPhone had its global debut on July 11. Or it could be just hype, or a marketing gimmick by these companies to catch the early birds!

Whether the iPhone mania results in snaking queues and genuine customers camping outside, remains to be seen.

[Honest 836]

College student gets first iPhone at Gurgaon mall

22 Aug, 2008, 0019 hrs IST, ET

GURGAON: Swati, a college student, beat thronging crowds to become the first customer to get an Apple iPhone from a mall in this satellite town on Thursday midnight.

Swati was waiting at the Sahara Mall from 7 pm.

The phone was handed over to her by Sanjay Kapoor, president of Bharti Mobile Services. The iPhone is priced at Rs.31,000 for 8GB and Rs.36,100 for 16GB of memory space,

The phones are being given on first come first serve basis.

[Honest 836]

Product Review: Apple iPhone

21 Aug, 2008, 0740 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: After a few days of playing around with the new iPhone 3G, I’m convinced that Apple’s iconic piece of gadgetry is a misnomer. The “mobile phone” is clearly the most unimpressive and probably the most unimportant part of the third generation iPhone. It’s a great computer , or rather, a great mobile internet device—probably the best ever made—and it’s a pity that it’s debuted in the country before 3G networks are up and running.

The other pity, of course, is that the two Indian operators whom Apple has chosen—Airtel and Vodafone—have both decided not to subsidise the handset as AT&T , for instance, does in the US, where it retails at $200 (approx Rs 8,600) with a compulsory extra charge by the operator for a two-year usage plan. At a whopping Rs 36,100 for the 16GB (which comes in black and white rear panels) and Rs 31,000 for the 8GB model, the iPhone is destined to border on being a luxury product rather than a mass appeal phenomenon.

The 3G iPhone has plastic rear panel and metal external buttons (the 2G version—which was widely available in Indian grey marketshad metal panel and plastic buttons ). The ‘flush’ port allows use of any standard 3.5 mm earpiece you wish (the original iPhone allowed only bundled headphones, to the frustration of its customers).

The smoother rounding off on the sides means that the phone’s dimensions have undergone a tiny change — too small to notice, but small enough to prevent it from fitting into speaker docks that were made for the original iPhone. Aaargh!

The actual phone itself is just a programme that you can access from the home screen and is average, to say the least. Simple things like transferring contacts from the phone to the SIM card or selecting multiple contacts are unavailable, while the SMS program lacks the ability to forward or copy-paste text.

The absence of flash, auto-focus , optical zoom or video recording takes the camera well behind the curve. The saving grace is that pictures once taken, can be expanded or shrunk or moved around by literally squeezing them on the screen with two fingers or flicking them with a single finger. This is the quintessential iPhone experience and typically the first thing you would want to show off about your gizmo.

The “iPod” program that controls music and movies is great if you’re familiar with the iPod-iTunes system. If you’re like most Indian users who get music onto their phones through bluetooth transfers or memory cards, you’re in for a steep learning curve.

After all there’s no external memory option on the iPhone and the bluetooth feature—which most other high-end phones exploit for data transfer and wireless music—is configured to only allow handsfree calling.

The star of the show is clearly internet browser Safari, which renders web pages better than any browser on any mobile device I have seen. Most websites are shown true to their form instead of scaled-down mobile versions and the multi-touch features allows you to easily move the page around, zoom in on the region you want to read and tap on a link to navigate.

This single-handedly takes web-surfing into a new dimension compared to clumsy joysticks , keys or even a stylus. The iPhone 3G’s browser allows you to click and save pictures in web pages.

The crowning glory though is App Store, an online marketplace where users can download software applications. These apps could range from games to medical encyclopedias to social networking tools to online auctions to pretty much anything that one can use a computer for.

The games are especially addictive since iPhone has no controls except one large screen button. All the movement in a game have to be controlled by physically moving the phone so that the accelerometer can detect which way you’re orienting the device.

The 3.5 inch screen puts your gaming experience on par with handheld devices from Nintendo and Sony while the improved loudspeakers guarantee that the experience will be incredibly annoying to those in your vicinity if you decide to dump the earphones. Some apps are free to download while others cost anything from a few dollars to a few hundred.

If you’re an incurable gadget freak, then go ahead.

FOR

• Pictures can be expanded or shrunk or moved around by literally squeezing them with your fingers
  
• Assisted Global Positioning System is there
  
• Google Maps comes pre-installed
  
• Net browser Safari renders web pages better than any browser on any mobile device
  
• You can download apps ranging from games to encyclopedias to social networking tools from App Store, the online marketplace
  
• The 3.5 inch screen puts your gaming experience on par with handheld devices of Nintendo and Sony, and it has loudspeakers
  
• Pushmail and enterprise-grade data security
  

AGAINST

• THE PRICE! At Rs 36,100 for 16GB model & Rs 31,000 for 8GB—against $300 and $200, respectively, in the US—iPhone 3G looks a luxury
  
• SMS can't be forwarded or copy-pasted
  
• No external memory option
  
• Bluetooth can be used only for handsfree calling
  
• Camera does not have flash, auto-focus , optical zoom and video recording facilities
  
• Options to transfer contacts from phone to the SIM card and select multiple contacts are unavailable
  

[Honest 836]

Make iPhone payment in easy instalments

22 Aug, 2008, 0230 hrs IST, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: The midnight launch of iPhone by Vodafone Essar will be accompanied by offer for payment in easy installments by credit cards.

The GSM giant has tied-up with credit card-issuing banks including Barclays, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank for providing installment option to iPhone customers.

“EMIs will be of six months and 12 months duration,” a company spokesperson told ET.

Customers holding credit card of these banks can buy phones at any Vodafone outlet and convert it into one of the EMI options.

To begin with, Vodafone will sell the 3G iPhone, priced at Rs 31,000 for 8GB version and Rs 36,100 for 16GB version, in 50 cities through 250 stores.

At midnight, the company will start selling iPhones in six cities: New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Jaipur and Chennai.

A similar midnight launch is being done by Bharti Airtel across six cities in the country.

[vmsanghrajka 0]

Whats the need!! Pay 3 times more for iPhone and on that too pay interest of over 30% p.a.. What a waste of money!!

[commonman 228]

Whats the need!! Pay 3 times more for iPhone and on that too pay interest of over 30% p.a.. What a waste of money!!

30% p.a. interest ??

Don't have the exact details of the tie-up.

But ICICI Credit Card gives the option of converting certain heavy purchases into 6 interest free EMI against upfront payment of 2% of principal amount which works out to about 8% p.a.

[dkaile 1,051]

Even then dear man, it is a horrible horrible pricing decision by the two companies.

[Honest 836]

^^^

Lets wait and watch my dear friends. Hope they should bring down the price of Iphone soon. But even then this handset is not worth at all except the looks.

Regards.

[Honest 836]

High price of iPhone could be a spoiler

22 Aug, 2008, 0548 hrs IST, ET

NEW DELHI: Are customers in India going to be queuing up from midnight on Thursday to be the first to buy the Apple iPhone when stores open in the morning? Not likely, if early signals are to be believed.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have priced the 8 GB phone at Rs 31,000, while the price tag on the 16 GB model is Rs 36,100. This might have put off many potential customers, who were expecting prices to compete with the US offer of $199 or roughly Rs 9,000.

While Airtel claims 200,000 customers registered for the iPhone, Vodafone has reportedly registered half this number. Yet, Airtel is already calling Vodafone's subscribers and asking them to switch loyalties, with the iPhone as a bait.

This attempt at cross-selling reveals that converting enquiries into sales already appears daunting. Customers, on the other hand, have no incentive to make this shift as both operators have identical prices for both models.

A communications research analyst, told ToI on condition of anonymity that he would be surprised if the two companies were able to convert even 25% of their enquiries to actual sales at the present price. However, even at a price of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, sales could be as high as 5 to 7 lakh in the near term itself, he added.

iPhone's limited availability through a binding service contract with Vodafone and Airtel and its premium pricing are likely to restrict market penetration. This could be similar to the experience that RIM faced when it launched Blackberry devices exclusively with Airtel, says Naveen Mishra, analyst, communications research, IDC India.

However, Sanjay Kapoor, president-mobile services, Bharti Airtel defends his price proposition. "The US price comes with a two-year airtime contract, so it is not fair to compare these rates. We are selling these phones to enhance customer experience, not to make a profit," he says.

However, price-sensitive Indians are quick to point out that the iPhone is available in the grey market for between Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000, so they need not pay so much more for the same gadget.

The issue of guarantee is the only problem one confronts when purchasing from the grey market. But in this case, the Apple brand is guarantee enough, says a senior executive in a MNC. Mishra also explains the market dynamics. Music is a big draw for the youth - especially any Apple offering. This pricing could keep the phone off limits for this very significant segment, he says.

The 3G iPhone combines three products in one a revolutionary phone, a wide screen iPod and a breakthrough internet device with rich push e-mail and a desktop-class web browser.

With competition from Nokia's N96, Samsung's Omnia, LG and others, it remains to be seen whether the iPhone will survive its pricing strategy.

[Honest 836]

iPhone faces unique challenges in India

22 Aug, 2008, 0249 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: While India may be amongst the hottest markets for Apple’s iPhone 3G, the country presents several unique challenges which the US-based multinational will have to address before it can succeed here. Not just Apple, but its partners in India—Bharti Airtel and Vodafone—will have to play their roles to perfection for their customers to enjoy the iPhone.

India is amongst the few markets where the partner telcos are spending huge sums training thousands of their employees to activate the iPhone. This because, unlike their western counterparts, Indian customers cannot be expected to activate the phone online. Low internet and PC penetration is a roadblock here and even amongst those in metros and large cities who own PCs, only a small minority have Apple’s iTunes on their systems. The other catch is slow internet speeds which can frustrate users attempting to download iTunes.

The solution: “We have trained over 3,000 employees across 41 locations and 400 stores in the top 45 cities to help activate the iPhone. We have also trained a large number of our call centre executives who will help our customers activate the iPhone,” explains Bharti Airtel president for mobility Sanjay Kapoor.

Mr Kapoor added that it would take customers about five minutes to activate the iPhone at Bharti’s retail outlets. Ditto to Vodafone, which has gone a step further and even given appointments at its retail outlets to its customers who have booked the iPhone to help them activate and use the device.

Apple no longer offers iTunes along with the products which includes the iPhone. In most Western markets, customers activate their iPhones online (via iTunes) or at Apple’s retail outlets. While, this strategy has been successful in developed markets, it may however not amuse its Indian consumers.

Market surveys reveal that Indian users largely tend to install software packages that come with the product rather than downloading the same online. And Apple hardly has any retail outlets here. Market surveys also reveal Indians seldom download software updates.

This brings new challenges. For instance, Apple on Tuesday had released a software (version 2.02 distributed via the iTune) to rectify problems with its iPhone 3G, but the approach is likely to find few takers here.

In another unique scenario, come Friday India will be amongst the few countries which will have access to the iPhones, but not to iTunes music stores. This means large number of Indians will not have legal access to download music on the iPhone unless one does it via his computer. In most global markets, Apple’s customers buy music online or at iTunes stores. Worse still, one cannot download music in traditional formats—MP3, memory cards and bluetooth—on the iPhone.

The list goes on. India is also amongst the few markets where telcos (Bharti and Vodafone) who are offering this handset are demanding an upfront payment for booking an iPhone. While it is Rs 5,000 for Bharti, Vodafone is charging double the amount.

Add to all this the fact it will take a year or so before 3G services are rolled out in India, so that the users get to experience all that the iPhone 3G offers. So, once the hype is settled, it may not be easy to find many takers for iPhone 3G in India.

[Honest 836]

Airtel techies dare hackers to crack iPhone code

22 Aug, 2008, 0238 hrs IST, ET

KOLKATA: When it comes to iPhone hackers, techies at Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel expect to have the last laugh. They claim even the most deadly hackers on the planet won’t be able to crack the codes that support the iPhone’s Airtel applications with rival company SIMs.

So, even if a hacker manages to make voice calls from an Airtel iPhone using the SIM of a rival GSM operator, he would be denied access to both exclusive icons—’Airtel Live’ and ‘Airtel Apps’—which are gateways to the full spectrum of Airtel applications built into the iconic gizmo.

This means a potential hacker of an Apple iPhones procured from Airtel won’t get to access either content or entertainment features on Airtel Live — a customised portal designed purely for Airtel subscribers. With no access to Airtel Live, he can’t access any text, audio, video, static images, music or gaming options available on the preloaded Airtel Live portal application. Neither does he get to use the powerful Google search engine.

Worse, the hacker also draws a blank if he tries activating any super secure applications like mobile payment (m-Chek) that can otherwise be accessed by Airtel users by clicking the ‘Airtel Apps’ icon on the iPhone. m-Check, would typically enable a user to manage his Airtel account or even do money transfers from his iPhone.

Confirming this, Bharti Airtel’s IT director Jai Menon, who is also chief information officer (CIO) of Bharti Enterprises, told ET: “Even if a hacker figures out a way to make voice calls from an iPhone procured from our stores using a non-Airtel SIM, he will not be able to access any of the ‘Airtel Live’ or ‘Airtel Apps’ features built into all the iPhones sold by Airtel. We’ve built in suitable levels of security to ensure both applications remain out of bounds for hackers. All iPhones distributed by Airtel will run on OSX (Version 2) OS which also powers Apple notebooks worldwide.”

He adds, “Airtel’s IT group has worked with Apple for over a year to uniquely evolve a bunch of operator-specific applications on the iPhone. In fact, Airtel is perhaps the only mobile operator besides Australia’s Optus that has evolved operator-specific applications on Apple’s iconic phone.”

Incidentally, “developing operator-specific iPhone applications was pretty much a stealth exercise that transpired by leveraging Airtel’s service delivery platform, which is a $100-million tech initiative,” said Mr Menon.

[manit 0]

Hey Some relief from Vodafone.... Guess what? They have reduced the cost of iphone from 31000 to Rs. 29640/- by marginal Rs.1360

[P. K. Daga 3]

what is the source of info

[vmsanghrajka 0]

Yes, its true.. Vodafone has decreased prices marginally, only if u purchase from selected Vodafone stores.. I read it in some news..

[manishag 17]

Today in Times of India Airtel said that iphone user is suppose to stick with the Airtel for 2 years with the minimum average usage Rs 3000+

so net cost of Iphone 8 GB = 31000 + 24X3000 = 103000

so loot lo hum to sale gadhe hain jitna lootna hai loot lo

[Himanshu Singh 19]

Today in Times of India Airtel said that iphone user is suppose to stick with the Airtel for 2 years with the minimum average usage Rs 3000+

so net cost of Iphone 8 GB = 31000 + 24X3000 = 103000

so loot lo hum to sale gadhe hain jitna lootna hai loot lo

its going to be a flop show for airtel vodafone and iphone.

[Honest 836]

^^^

Yes my dear friends, I think very soon we will see the Iphone prices down to earth.

Regards.

[Honest 836]

iPhone security flaw exposes private data

28 Aug, 2008, 1948 hrs IST, ET

NEW YORK: A security flaw in Apple Inc's iPhone allows unauthorized users to gain easy access to private contacts and e-mails even when the device is locked, but the company said a fix is on the way.

Popular technology blog Gizmodo and an online forum run by the Mac Rumors site showed that it took only three taps to gain access to locked iPhones, which run the latest 2.02 iPhone software.

A spokeswoman said in an e-mail that Apple was aware of the problem and was readying a software update to fix it. In the meantime, she recommended users set the iPhone's "Home" button to open up the phone's iPod music collection rather than the phone's "Favorites" menu.

The spokeswoman did not say when the software update would be made available.

The flaw could be seen as a momentary setback in Apple's ambitious plans to compete against Research In Motion, whose BlackBerry smartphone has become a standard issue device in corporate businesses around the globe.

Earlier in August, technology research firm Gartner issued a report that said iPhone's software had met Gartner's minimum requirements for business support, although some issues persisted. The author of the report, Ken Dulaney, was not immediately reachable.

Last week, Apple released a software update for the iPhone that reportedly helped fix problems connecting to faster third-generation (3G) wireless networks, after receiving a flurry of online complaints from customers around the world.

Apple, which started selling the new 3G iPhone on July 11, has said it expected to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.