[smokin]

Airtel and vodafone both have the same price 31000/- and 36100/- respectively.

I received the message from airtel inviting me to come on 21st august at 12 midnight for the launch not in the morning and we can pay 5000/- advance not 10000/- like vodafone.

Now think midnight launch at sahara mall ,gurgaon ..


anyone going for this party or invitation ..

[csentil]

Hee hee.. everyone's ganging up on Srijit. :-)

One point that struck me was that Apple is probably the first non hardware company to get into making phones. Probably their mindset and the design reflects that.

I'm not sure that its a step back. Its a step in a different direction. What Apple has offered might not be unique or fully developed by them, but it has brought out to the open the possibilities of having different kind of features than traditional phones.

Heck, I have a 1600 bucks phone which has 99 speed dials and a very nice UI to configure it. Most of the more expensive phones I've seen don't have it including the iPhone !!

The Apple Hype club does certainly play its part but atleast there is a refreshing change in attitude with some of the things that Apple does. Some click and some don't.

However at the end of the day what matters for Apple is money in the bank !! :-)

[Jaggu]

No surprises here, its same as Vodafone 31000 for 8 GB and 36100 for 16 GB.

More info: Airtel iPhone

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by csentil

One point that struck me was that Apple is probably the first non hardware company to get into making phones.

Huh! Come again... Apple is not a hardware company? Who makes iMac, iPod, iBook...

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by srijit

What would you do if someone comes along and just start criticising the Safari, in every thread. It's a diesel, its noisy, the interiors are crap, the 3.0L doesnt have enough low range torque, it has got horrible body roll, it hasnt passed any QC whatsoever, it always breaks down, it drinks fuel, it is impossible to drive in a city etc etc?

Incorrect logic, as tsk pointed out. I'd just ask him to pay twice as much for a 2 generations old Pajero or 3.5 times as much for a current Pajero - can you tell the same to your iPhone critic?

[srijit]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Incorrect logic, as tsk pointed out. I'd just ask him to pay twice as much for a 2 generations old Pajero or 3.5 times as much for a current Pajero - can you tell the same to your iPhone critic?

So by your own logic, you should stop wasting time with the iPhone and look for alternatives like the N95(?) or the Omnia(?). I mean, its no use continuing with something that does not work for you, when there are other alternatives. That is what I would tell an "iPhone critic".

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Pretty wrong analogy.
Why?
For all their faults Scorpio and Safari have no competition.
For someone with 10L in their pocket and need for 4x4 there is no other vehicle available which runs diesel and is reasonably comfortable.
As for iphone, it does less than other phones and costs more.
Imagine if a Safari 4x2 cost 30 lakhs because it looks so good and buying it would make you the member of an exclusive club.
This is what iPhone is.

We are going pretty off-topic here, but allow me to explain. I just used that Safari example, cos I know that Steer has one and that he is passionate about it. As a moderator, you might have noticed the passion for the vehicles that the Safari and Scorpio owners have. Its the same thing here with the iPhone for me. The only difference is, I never claim that it is the ultimate phone.

And if we take the Safari analogy a bit further, I might ask: Why should I spend 10L for a vehicle that I *might* take offroad once a year? I drive primarily where the roads are good enough. I could get a fast sedan and mod it up for that money. I could get 2 cars, one for city use and one for cruising.
Also why on earth would anyone living in a city want the 4x4 when he could get the 4x2 for less. The answer is often personal and not logical.
Some people like the looks of the Safari, some like it for the VFM, some like it for comfort. But you dont go about criticising the car once you buy it. You learn to live with it.

I also remember someone asking in the forum for an SUV in the 45L range. Would I call him mad? No. He can afford it.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

On a Personal level, I do not oppose lack of features that much as I oppose the lack of freedom.
iPhone and blackberry are restrictive systems.
iPhone even more so. I can't even change the battery!? Apple has to permit what apps I run on MY phone!?

Straightaway, I'll tell you that the iPhone is not suited for your use. But, inspite knowing that, why do you want to buy it and subject yourself to the misery that follows? It's not like you dont have other options.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

As the final straw, it costs twice as much as other phones with same features.

That is interesting. Which phones might those be, with half the price and the same features? I hope you are not talking about the chinese duplicates...

Originally Posted by tsk1979

This is the iphone thread, and iphone will be discussed here. If there are more people talking about negative points, so be it!

I have no problem with the iPhone's negative points and I have never said that it should not be discussed. Its only that after reading the same tired points a million times, you start to wonder whether people have nothing better to do than find faults with a phone. It's not that the negatives are hidden away someplace. They are available on every review site and forum.

[CorsaLove]

yes, Both are confirmed as the same price only the upfront amount is different. Vodafone who has much more stocks coming is for them is higher at Rs. 10,000 and airtel is at Rs. 5000.

My friends at Vodafone say that the numbers ordered by Vodafone is almost double that of Airtel. I guess we'll have to wait and watch.

My 8 GB one is far better and i dont intend to take the new one in India at these prices.

[Jaggu]

I have been using symbian devices since its launch in India, thats like 1995 iirc. Introduced to win ce mob somewhere in 2002. Both of them had their on + and - points, shifting to touch based system was another move, which was painful both in symbian as well as in win mob, but i got used to it in a jiffy.

Last 3 years i have been using symbian and win mob for my business purpose also, see for me i need to be in touch with office, when am on the move, email alot, this is primary req. Though the devices allowed attachment editing and all i wouldnt have used it more than 3 times. Browsing is very important and yes media is also very important. Havent sent a single MMS till date though. Copy/Paste also would be, again i would have used it to max add a number to the contact book. These are the facts of my usage after spending a good deal of money on all these gadgets, again and again, over the years. Then again am a gadget freak and like the attention also lol.

I love 3 party applications/tools have a ton of them in my Touch and when i run out of space archived in my laptop, which i keep experimenting with, even managed to crash the mob once with these

I got introduced to iPhone last year through Rudra, i was lil confused at that time since i was not sure if all the pain was worth the shift. Buying from US or Grey then unlock etc, yup am an update freak also. I had a feeling that Apple would definitely improve on the specs with ver 2, and i have been keepin a close watch on its development. Once the 3G was announced i was convinced that now the amazing user experience catered to my exact needs.

I wanted the GPS functionality and oh i prefer google maps over other aps like nokia's built in stuff and other 3rd party stuff, my need is to know where am lost, finding way is my headache, also turn by turn in bangalore is pathetic in the software i have seen. Support to enterprise was definitely a plus and final bit was 3G which convinced me to move from my current HTC Touch which is 2.5G.

I started the hunt well before July 11th, thinking that it would be my bday present (which is on July 11th). Fortunately or unfortunately, Canada purchase went for a toss due to stock outage (700$ unlocked), moved on to ebay and i had kept a limit of 1000$ and that also didnt click, then dads colleague offered help from france at 609 Euro for 8 GB (unlocked) but again stock outage, and then the announcement came for India launch, in 2 weeks.

Hopefully ill pick mine up in a day, half my office thinks am NUTS, my wife is tired of the rant and just wants me to go out now and stand in a Q at the Airtel office (though she stood along with me in front of airtel shop today morn for the shop to open), but i think i like the overall package that iPhone 3G will offer now.

So its all about needs, affordability and some amount of madness. At the end of the day something more than logic also, so dont waste too much time on debate. Thats my 2 paise worth.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by srijit

So by your own logic, you should stop wasting time with the iPhone and look for alternatives like the N95(?) or the Omnia(?). I mean, its no use continuing with something that does not work for you, when there are other alternatives. That is what I would tell an "iPhone critic".

I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm in the mobile industry and do try out most PDA phones (which is my preferred device for communication) that I can lay my hands on. I may or may not continue with the usage of the phone/PDA but that is not going to stop me from pointing out such obvious flaws and shortcomings.

Personally I wish HTC would release that Touch Pro at the earliest so I can get back to normalcy, though it is also possible that over a period of time I get accustomed to the iPhone's strange ways.

Whatever it is, I will continue to write about it - dont loose sleep on that count

[spadival]

Ahhh... lots of reasons here to keep my HTC Touch and not throw it away and buy the iphone. For once, I am a happy man after not changing my phone every six months

[Jaggu]

Wish list/Top 3 cribs for me with the iPhone:

Internet sharing- Hope Apple introduces an application for other countries where its allowed. I have a USB modem from Tataindicome but speed is pathetic compared to Airtel Mobile office.
Video- For those spontaneous scoops
Copy-Cut-Paste- Wanna copy something while browsing and email, now i have to email the link :P

Win mob on the other hand has memory leakage, which is bloody annoying for me and more painful than any of the above.

[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]