When the Indian phone fanatics came to know about the release of the Apple iPhone 3G in India, they are all were all excited and so was Apple who expected to see great sales in the largest cellphone market in the world.
But that was not to be the case. When the iPhone 3G was released on Vodafone and Airtel, it disappointed a lot of awaiting customers due to it’s high price of 700US$. Even the people who bought their iPhone 3Gs couldn’t use it fully due to the lack of 3G networks in India. A senior Airtel executive said that iPhone sales have yet to reach 20,000 handsets.
Even in the blackmarket, where the phone sells for about half the 700US$ price, the phone has failed to grab attention. Some say that the iPhone is way too overpriced and that for the price of three iPhones, one can afford to buy a car in India. This is where Apple went wrong in India.
By the middle of 2009, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 3G in China after holding talks with the largest mobile carrier China Mobile. The Chinese Government however has some restrictions such as not allowing Wi-Fi etc. There are already lots of illegally imported iPhone with Wi-Fi in the country. Like India, a success in China is not guaranteed but Apple is willing to take the risk.