The iPhone Thread !!! Update: OS 3.1.2 Out!

[iraghava]

Ummm...Jaggu, any software cracks out for the 3G yet? I've not yet cracked the piece I have with me. Or am I going to have to go the X Sim/Turbo Sim way?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Ummm...Jaggu, any software cracks out for the 3G yet? I've not yet cracked the piece I have with me. Or am I going to have to go the X Sim/Turbo Sim way?

xsim, anysim, turbo sim etc (basically sim unlock) are the current options but you never know when the developers comes out with an unlocking surprise also i read that in some countries using the sim method is illegal since it sends wrong info to cell towers to get it working, which 'can' be termed as illegal/terror activity. So careful.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Or am I going to have to go the X Sim/Turbo Sim way?

Your only option at the moment.

OT but I upgraded to the latest firmware version (which I doubt you can do with a jailbroken/'unlock'ed version) and 3G connectivity seems to have improved though there are still instances of totally inexplicable interruptions to 3G sessions - but they occur less frequently now.

EDIT, just now: HOWEVER, the latest version did THIS and I can no longer connect with iTunes - is this the end of my iPhone journey?:

[ms001]

Friends .....those of you in India planning for iPhone... THINK TWICE BEFORE MAKING A DECISION... The short comings of iPhone are endless...

No video calling,
no AD2P on the Bluetooth,
CAN'T share ANY (mp3, images,videos....) files via bluetooth,
can't use as a wireless modem, (you pay ridiculous data charges to activate internet on your phone, but cannot connect it to your PC and browse when you are at home)
no copy and paste,(cannot copy a part of a.... say.... email & send it....have to type it out yourself)
no 3.2 or 5 megapixel camera,(the 2MP camera it carries is worst camera i've ever seen..... photos look like they have come out of a VGA camera)
no video recording with camera,
no front camera,
no flash.
no JAVA support
No physical keyboard (BELIEVE me! this alone is a dealbreaker...touch keyboard as good as it looks...once you use it then only you come to know about the importance of having a hard keypad)
No 3G network yet in India ..so why pay for expensive 3G phone if you cant use its 3G services ... so, for India , iPhone 2.0 is no better than its first version
No removable battery. (You cannot change battery. Have to send it to apple outlet.. Come on now!!!!...This is not an iPod. Its a bloody phone. You cannot live without phone for 2-3 days)
No haptic feedback and
cannot send MMS,
can't use as external storage device (16 GB of utter waste..next time you go to your friend's house & find some interesting songs, movies, etc...sorry you cannot connect your '16 GB' phone and share it!!!! Apple apparently has a solution.. " BUY MUSIC & MOVIES FROM iTUNES STORE "..... Give me a break will you APPLE!!!)
no FM radio,
can't use your mp3 files as ringtones,(This is heights man!!!)
cannot insert any other SIM card….
completely tied to iTunes... Connect to your friend's iTunes & you risk erasing everything on your phone.
list goes on & on & on….

We Indians are used to these features. Most of our phones already have these features. & we cannot do with out them.... i mean can you imagine paying so much for a phone with which you cannot transfer files via bluetooth. what age is this ...STONE AGE???
Some features may be activated by jailbreak.. But why the hell should you risk losing your warranty after paying so much.
And want to add third party softwares??.. YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM iTUNES STORE ONLY!!! . (Shell out more money). Apple is a bloody control freak. Dont surrender your freedom to it.
Its good for american market (who have no idea what mobile freedom/choice is) which is in stone age compared to asian/european markets. When they want to buy a phone, they have to go to network operators and buy only those phones that are available on that network. & stick to that company till their contract expires. You want to change carriers? Not before paying damages, & buying another phone on the other network again.
On the contrary, we in India have so much freedom. We go to handset shops & buy which ever phone we like. Then go to carriers.. checkout the plans & buy SIM.. Dont like the plan or rival carrier came up with a better plan???? EASY .. just remove & replace the SIM.
Apple are trying to IMPOSE THEIR MODEL ON US riding on the hype iPhone has created in the US (yes it was a flop in Europe .thats why Apple never talks about its sales in Europe ).
Dont fall for the subsidized price of iPhone... CHECKOUT THE DATA PLAN ATTACHED TO ITS SIM ..they will recover the cost through ridiculous data plans. Bill might come to around Rs 2500/month.(ATLEAST AMERICANS PAY THAT MUCH)
Let me clear one thing though.. iphone is the best looking phone (its touch interface is nothing like you have ever seen ), & best browsing experience out there no doubt .... (& others are fast catching up..check out the android demo at Google IO 2008).... BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FUNCTIONALITY...
Those of who buy it... You will be most happy for atmost a week... & then, MARK MY WORDS...YOU WILL START REGRETTING IT!!!

My advice...WAIT FOR HTC DREAM!! (powered by android). Still not convinced by then...by all means go for iPhone...
So friends lets spread this info to all our friends and help them in making a wise decision..... & those of you who have bought unlocked versions already please share your experiences with others


[source forwarded email]

[srijit]

Sigh.

Steer and Tanveer, see what I mean. ^^^^

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by srijit

Sigh.

Steer and Tanveer, see what I mean. ^^^^

ROFL.

See, I told you so, if 20 people think iphone is bad, and all of them have same grouses, all of them will post in this thread. So just carry on and let it be

[srijit]

Well, at least they could get a bit more creative about it. This is no different from the spam emails one receives telling you that you will win $$ from Microsoft if you forward to 100 friends.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by srijit

Well, at least they could get a bit more creative about it. This is no different from the spam emails one receives telling you that you will win $$ from Microsoft if you forward to 100 friends.

One is a spam email which lies. you do not get $100.
These emails doing rounds are telling the facts, however getting same emails again and again is actually spam, even if what is written is a fact.

So if a member wants to post something negative, we can only point out that this has been pointed before and discussion should move on.

Now carrying on the discussion, the price is out 36000 for 16GB.
From those who have booked, a question, does this include lockin also like the US, or this price is for off the shelf do as you please.
If there is operator lockin at this high price, I presume both Airtel and Vodafone in collusion with apple have decided to reap in big profits.
Normally when you have vendor lockin the phone price is subsidized. So asking full price after operator lock-in is a shady business practice

I heard there are some cases in EU about lockin and how it violates consumer rights. If EU forces apple to sell unlocked phones in EU, they will have to do so, albeit at a higher price of 300-400 euro etc.,
If that happens, expect people to buy phones from there and bring to India. It will give rise to a parallel grey market.

[srijit]

Speaking of subsidy...
US call rates per min: 25 - 30 cents
Indian call rates: 2 - 5 cents

So I wouldnt expect a subsidy and carrier independece anytime soon. There is no margin in granting a subsidy in India. We have some of the worlds lowest call rates.

source: Airtel chairman in some newspaper, when asked if he would subsidize the iPhone.

[sam003]

I have my 16 GB older version iphone with me bought in US and cracked next moment. It works really well. Speaker are not good though but battery live is amazing. Only major weakness on this phone I can see is for anything you have to either pay Apple some money or look for workaround, like ringtones, video converter etc. But as a phone it has no comparision believe me.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

From those who have booked, a question, does this include lockin also like the US, or this price is for off the shelf do as you please.
If there is operator lockin at this high price, I presume both Airtel and Vodafone in collusion with apple have decided to reap in big profits.
Normally when you have vendor lockin the phone price is subsidized. So asking full price after operator lock-in is a shady business practice

Confirmed - the phones are network locked. I just got a mail from Airtel and called up 121 to confirm.

That's robbery twice-over. EDIT: Thrice over, considering that you have to pay Apple for anything more including ringtones.

Originally Posted by sam003

But as a phone it has no comparision believe me.

That is correct - no other phone works (or doesnt work) in such a unique manner.

[shajufx]

Its an interesting discussion over here ! So what is the conclusion ? Should I buy an i-phone tomorow (official launching in India 22nd Aug 2008) ? Or wait for the rushing crowd to settle down ? 31k for an 8 GB looks overpriced to me that too a carrier locked handset ! I was considering to upgrade my Nokia E62 which is my true companion since 1 year. Luckily I use a postpaid Airtel sim since 2 years and not planning to change it soon (helpful if I decide to buy an i-phone from airtel).

[jassi]

@shajufx - hold on to your chips there, no point in wasting money, besides there is plenty of news of problems and reasons on not getting one. Lets wait for someone to buy one and then update this thread on cracked plastic and proprietary closed functionality hidden behind the amazing UI (unless you want to be the one who posts that info)

[shajufx]

Airtel and Vodafone claims to have 1000s of bookings with advance amount already paid for tomorow's launch ! So, I am sure there will be lot of bhpians across the country who want to try it first-hand and give a detailed report on the good and bad of it. I am not in a hurry to throw 31k just like that ! I dont take risks of being the 'first-idiot' or the 'first smart man' when it comes to gadgets ! Fingers crossed !

[whatcanthisbe]

The moment you have been waiting for is here. The new iPhone 3G premieres August 22, 2008. iPhone 3G will be available in 2 exciting options:


8 GB (Black) for Rs 31000
16GB (White & Black) for Rs 36100

To celebrate the launch of the iPhone 3G in India, we will be opening three of our Airtel stores, one each in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore at the stroke of midnight 12.00am (Friday Morning) on August 22nd.

Join us early on the red carpet as we camp out throughout the evening.
We are expecting some long queues, so plan your day and reach the location as soon as possible. Remember, our stock is limited and will be available only on first cum first basis.

So, gear up to witness the biggest launch event on August 22, 2008 and be a part of history at

Airtel Brand Shop
S-45, Ground Floor, Sahara Mall,
MG Road, SEC- 28, Gurgaon
Haryana

Ps: Can’t make it for the midnight launch!

In case you can't make it you can still get your iPhone on priority. Just visit one of the select Airtel stores & confirm your booking by paying Rs 5000 on August 20 or 21.You'll get an appointment to collect your iPhone after paying the balance amount. For list of the select Airtel stores log on to Airtel iPhone.