Business Standard reports, quoting "Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) retail sources" that the iPhone will be launched in India the first week of September with Vodafone (NYSE: VOD). We have not been able to confirm this independently, so it's anybodys guess. However, readers might remember this story from BS about the Google Mobile Phone being launched in India. Ironically, that launch was supposed to happen in September as well (last year), and we know that never happened.
As per the story, the 8GB version of the iPhone will be launched in September 2008, at a rather high price of Rs. 27000-28000 ($680-700), much above its $399 (Rs. 15960) price tag. Compared to that, unlocked iPhones are fairly common now in Indian metros, with the 8GB costing between Rs. 18,000-21,000 ($450-$525); Cerius bought a 16 GB version recently for Rs. 21,000 ($525). The story also claims that an exclusive deal is being worked out with Vodafone for India - though I don't see how Voda will be able to lock-in customers. If the launch does happen, lets just hope that the existing unlocked iPhones in India don't get bricked just to make that exclusive deal count. I know a few Vodafone subscribers who wouldn't be too happy. More as we have it.
Monday, April 21, 2008
IPhone In India In September?
The Forbes billions
And so are we in a recession? You wouldn’t know it from the latest Forbes billionaires list which now boasts of 1,125 members, breaking four digits for the first time.
Bill Gates is down at number three, giving up the number one spot to his good buddy Warren Buffett , at $62 billion - with a 6x surge in net worth since last year, thanks to flying shares of Berkshire Hathaway. The number two spot now belongs to Carlos Slim Helu of the Mexican wireless telephone company, America Movil.
Interestingly, the Ambani family of the Indian company the Reliance group might have come in first on the richest list with a combined worth of $85 billion, except that the warring Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil split up their fortune and showed up in fifth and sixth positions respectively, with individual net worths of $43B and $42B.
And how about the youngest self made billionaire? Yes, you guessed it - it is 23 year old Facebook genius Mark Zukerberg who is worth $1.5 billion. Of course this number is based upon Microsoft paying $240 million last October for a 1.6% stake in the company, which pegged Facebook’s value at a whopping 15 billion. Not many believe this huge valuation, and the story going around is that Microsoft paid up not necessarily because it believes that the company is worth as much, but more to keep out those who might be thinking about taking over all of Facebook!
While on unnamed suitors for Facebook, Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin made the top of the Forbes thirtysomething list with $19 billion apiece..