There aren’t a lot of things out there that iPhone users wait for more anxiously than Apple’s free firmware updates. Unlike every single other company in the industry, Apple has taken it upon themselves to provide iPhone users with regular software updates that actually add valuable new features to these devices without costing them a dime (although iPod touch users do generally have to pay a price for them)!

All the iPhone and iPod touch users among our readership will be glad to know that, after a lot of leaks and rumourmongering, Apple has just made available the v2.2 firmware update for both these devices. The focus this time round has primarily been on enhancing Google Maps and adding podcasts to the “iTunes application” (that’s what Apple is calling it now because, with the addition of podcasts and the ability to download them over the cellular network, the original name ‘iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store’ would perhaps have been a misnomer). Continue Reading »

Over at livemint.com, Priyanka Mehra and Shauvik Ghosh have a story on how and why the iPhone failed to take off in India, and boy, a truer article I’ve never read! Apple either doesn’t understand the Indian market at all or just doesn’t care about it. They’ve never really paid any attention to their flailing Mac business out here or tried to make the iPod as much of a household name as it is in the USA. Now that it’s a mobile phone we’re talking about, they’re finding it difficult to gain a foothold in the country with the fastest growing cellphone industry in the world. And it serves them right.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Apple’s products—everything from the hardware design to the tiniest level of software minutia to the integration between their various products is incredibly well thought out and implemented. However, when it comes to aggressively pricing and marketing their products, the only country they seem to give a damn about is the United States.

How else can one explain the lack of the Apple Online Store, the iTunes Store (one that actually sells music and movies like it’s supposed to), or even a single Apple Retail Store? How can one explain the huge disparity in the prices of all Apple products out here when compared to their USA counterparts? How can one explain the complete lack of any advertisement directly from Apple in any form in the second most populous country in the world?

Apple doesn’t care about the Indian market and it has now come to bite them in the, er, posterior end. At least this one time, I’m glad to see Apple not being a success and people not taking a liking to an Apple product. And the fact that it makes my iPhone unique is only a small part of that. What makes me glad, primarily, is the hope that they will perhaps start taking India a little more seriously now.

What Apple needs to do now is get off the proverbial high horse and face the music. They need to realise that when their CEO climbs up onstage at one of the most high profile technology events of the year and declares that the iPhone will be priced at $199 or less all over the world, their world map had better include India as well.

Furthermore, it’s high time Apple came to terms with the fact that you aren’t really in the cellphone business until you’ve managed to infiltrate the school and college campuses of India. And for that to happen, they need to add the capability to forward text messages pronto. We also need video recording, Bluetooth (that actually works), and copy-paste, but these can be dealt with later. But if you want your product to be in the hands of the millions of teenage prepaid SIM card users out here, it better be able to pass on that not-quite-so-funny joke they just received to everyone on their contact list.

Of course, it is entirely possible that Apple still plans to keep things the way they are currently and is happy with their slice of the Indian market pie, no matter how small it may be. If that is the case, well, it’s just more bad news for us Indians. But something tells me that’s not the case anymore. I do not think that a man like Steve Jobs and a company like Apple would be foolish enough to willingly allow Nokia easy access to the pockets of the millions of smartphone users out here. Sooner or later, Apple will get serious about India. It’s just a matter of time.

Watch this space for updates.

In a surprising turn of events, Apple has introduced completely carrier-free iPhones in Hong Kong. The city already has iPhones being sold locked to 3HK (owned by Hutchinson), yet Apple [HK] has listed the unlocked phones, without any prior announcement or press release whatsoever.

iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation.

The unlocked iPhones cost HK$ 5,400 (US$ 692), while a 16GB model costs HK$ 6,200 (US$ 794). That brings it to around Rs. 33,000 for the 8GB and Rs. 37,500 for the 16GB, if introduced in India. 

So would you pay the extra cash just to be able to use the iPhone with your preferred carrier or is a contract-free but carrier locked iPhone good enough for you?

[Via MacNN]

How do you buy an iPhone in India for Rs 1654? Answer: with easy monthly installments offered by Airtel and Vodafone of course!

Even though the iPhone is cheapest in India, the Rs 31,000 tag might not be affordable to all. Sensing that India is the land of EMIs and is price cautious, the telecom companies have introduced EMI scheme for the rest of us.

Airtel EMI Options lets Visa card holder of ICICI, SBI, Citibank and HDFC bank customers to avail spot EMI options at Airtel retail outlets. You can get installments from 3 months (from Rs 10,333/month) to 24 months (Rs 1654/month).

Vodafone EMI Options lets Credit Card customers of Axis, Citibank, HSBC and Barclaycard bank to avail installment options to buy an iPhone. Avail installments from 3 months (from Rs 9880/month) to 12 months (Rs 2470/month).

Note that Vodafone’s iPhone EMI is lower as their iPhone costs Rs. 28,000. The catch of course is that Airtel offers free 500MB/mo EDGE data transfer, while Vodafone makes you pay 200 for the activation itself. 

So which one’s the best deal then? From what I see Barclaycard bank (Vodafone) and HDFC (Airtel) seems you’ll pay relatively less than EMIs from other banks. In case you’ve gone broke after paying a fortune, worry not. You can convert your purchase into an EMI option.

Service Tax extra. Processing and pre closure fee as applicable. Charges are subject to revision from time to time. As always, read up on the fineprint before you sign into anything. The offer is valid till 30th November only.

Are you ready to live the iPhone dream now?

Oh, so soon? After hearing about Apple incorporating preventive measures into iTunes 8, I was a bit worried that the iPhone Dev-Team would take some time before they came up with a smooth and safe PwnageTool for my iPhone. But they did it, and in record time. Just a day after the iPhone 2.1 software was released (5 days after iPod touch 2.1 was released), the iPhone Dev-Team got their show on the road with PwnageTool 2.1, and QuickPwn 1.1.

The ‘pwn’ goes around iTunes 8’s protection, without hacking or patching a single core file of iTunes or Mac OS X. The tool will unlock and jailbreak first generation iPhones. iPhone 3G will only be jailbroken, as will the first generation iPod Touch. This tool is not tested on the iPod Touch 2G, as the developers claim they don’t have any to test it on! Too bad they don’t accept any donations. 

If you are confused about the differences between PwnageTool and QuickPwn, let me put it in simple words. QuickPwn lets you pwn your iPhone after you have officially updated with iTunes. On the other hand, PwnageTool will create a custom firmware which you then use to update your iPhone. Both tools will achieve the same end result, but with PwnageTool you have more control as to what packages you want to install, whether you want a custom boot logo or not, etc. QuickPwn, on the other hand, is much quicker. Both tools are very easy to use. 

This time round the team has decided to go the BitTorrent route to reduce the server loads, especially during the initial stages. If you are wary of BitTorrent technology, they also have direct download mirrors listed by third party hosts. The whole thing feels like it’s a community event! If you are having trouble with downloading the 2.1 update via iTunes, iClarified lists official download links so you can get it using your preferred download manager. 

The tool is currently only available for Mac OS X, but a Windows version should be out soon. 

Go pwn that iPhone!

[Ed note: If you already have a successfully ‘pwned’ iPhone running on older firmware, all you need to do is hit the Update button in iTunes to update to v2.1. It will update your iPhone without locking it back to AT&T, just as if it were legitimately running on AT&T’s network. That’s what I did today and had no problems at all.]

One of the most common questions that a new iPhone user will ask is how strong or scratch resistant the iPhone is. After all, the phone looks more delicate than a newborn child, and for the first few days you’ll want to carefully place it on a soft cloth every time it leaves your hand. OK, maybe not you, but I certainly did so for two whole months before I got used to the idea that it’s not as delicate as it looks.

Let me put it to you straight—the iPhone’s screen is virtually scratch proof. Yes, unlike the plastic screens on other phones, the glass screen of the iPhone is resistant to key scratches and whatever else you can throw at it. Don’t believe me? Here’s a video of PC World doing the iPhone 3G: Torture test. 

Warning: This video is not for the faint hearted. You there in the corner, go to your room.

Now take a deep breath to get rid of that blurry vision. Fine? Let’s continue.

Dropping the iPhone is a dicey matter. Sometimes, even a drop from a small height at just that right angle can crack the glass. On other more fortunate occasions, it can even take a mighty 10-foot drop and live to tell the tale (although the owner might by then have suffered a stroke). As for the plastic back of the iPhone 3G, it is very scratch resistant, but will gather a few scratches along the way (i.e. it ain’t anything like the screen, baby). The stainless steel Apple logo, however, is a scratch magnet. 

Should you put a screen guard on it? Unless you are totally careless with your phone (that guy in the video, for example, would fit that description), you do not need a screen protector. It will unnecessarily hinder the user experience of the touchscreen. The back will, however, get scratched, being that it is plastic, so you might want to put a film screen over that—again, only if you are not careful with your iPhone. 

If you notice any cracks on the plastic, it is a manufacturing defect and should entitle you to getting a replacement for either the shell or the entire iPhone.

The latest in a series of blemishes on Apple’s report card are the misbehaving 3G radios on the iPhone 3G. The Internet is abuzz with speculation about whether this is a problem which can be fixed with a mere software update or one that will involve a massive recall of those 3 million+ iPhones sold till date to replace the radios in question.

I pray for Apple, because if it is the latter of the issues, it will certainly drown Apple, not only with the huge costs associated with a recall, but the shame of acknowledging a critical flaw in their flagship handheld. Of course, Apple is its usual silent self, refusing to even acknowledge the matter. However, there seems to be some hope on the horizon as The Wall Street Journal, among others, is reporting that a software fix might be in the offing.

“Apple Inc. is working on a software fix for its new iPhone 3G to remedy dropped phone calls that some users are experiencing, according to people familiar with the matter.”

One wonders when Apple’s mounting problems will finally be blown away with a “boom” from Steve Jobs. After all, all it will take to get the media’s attention away from all this mess is to introduce some sparkling new MacBooks and iPods! See? Your attention has already drifted off into thinking about that shiny new aluminum MacBook.

[Image courtesy of Jamie on deviantART.]

The current standing price for the iPhone in India is Rs. 31,000 and Rs. 36,100 respectively for the 8GB and 16GB models. This seems to have everyone in a tussle as to why a device that was touted to be “half the price” actually turned out to be three-to-four times more. I’m not in the least bit disappointed; it was more than expected. The answers lie in historical patterns as well as present marketing. Let’s start right from the beginning.

Apple has never seen India as a potential market for anything except the iPod—and that too five years after the first iPod debuted in the U.S.A.. It was around the middle of 2005 that iPods began to roll into the country and one would see them everywhere (a few departmental stores had them too). India has never been on Apple’s radar as a market for Macs, the iTunes Store, or the Apple TV. It would be a really far fetched bet to believe that their latest gadget would be any different. Heck, Apple itself is not selling it either. It is being brought in by the telecom giants Airtel and Vodafone. Apple resellers are taking pre-orders and have reportedly said that they’ll be selling the phones, but again, they’re being paid by either of the two telecom companies to do so, not by their parent company Apple.

The price tag of $199 is for locked phones and we know that AT&T is shelling out good money to subsidise the price and keep it that low. That means the price cut is at the provider’s loss, who plans to offset it by selling them in large quantities and levying outrageous charges on customers in the form of recurring rentals for the entire duration of their multi-year contract. That ploy might work in India too, but it would be a gamble because the majority (and I mean majority) of the country has never used a smartphone before. The ones who have, have been using Blackberrys and Nokias, two very reputed brands in the country. A lower price of around Rs. 25,000 might be good to sell it as a ‘smart phone for the masses’, but the masses in India:

• cannot afford a phone for Rs. 15,000 or more; and
• don’t particularly care for Apple as a phone company, especially one that wants you to spend about Rs. 20,000 on their phone.

In a market which has never associated Apple with anything except music players, bringing in a new device at their own loss is a risk companies are not going to take so early in the game. Maybe a few months down the line we can expect a price cut (like what the Motorola Razr saw), but the telcos will want to make the most of it while they can play off the hype that the international market has created in people’s minds. Remember, the mainstream crowd hasn’t heard most of the problems the iPhone 3G has been facing. It’s only us, who follow technology news like we do, who know what’s really happening.

Then there are those who are jacktastically converting the international prices of $599 and $699 for contract free iPhones to Indian National Rupee and saying that the price is still high. We can’t do much about that. For what it’s worth, I think the price tag of $599 or more for an iPhone 3G is very high in and of itself, but that’s the subject of another discussion.

The iPhone has been priced relative to other smart phones in the market and, comparatively, it holds up pretty well. The 8GB iPhone is almost in the same price bracket as the 8GB N95 and, similarly, the 16GB model has a price close to the N96’s (argument of features and usage plans aside). It is also priced near about the same as the most expensive Blackberry. Plus, you’re paying for the Apple brand, so if you like, you can accept that as a reason for any pricing offsets to the other phones in the same segment.

In any case, people will buy the iPhone in the coming month or two out of sheer hype and on the basis of whatever little promotion the providers can come up with. Price will not be a deterrent for those who can afford it. For those who can’t, well, I don’t think they were bothered in the first place. Hopes of a price slash are not very far fetched, seeing as how the first generation iPhone saw a slash merely months after it was launched. Plus, if iPhone sales don’t match up to the expectations of the telcos, the laws of economics will step in automatically.

[EDIT]: I got my price for the N95 a little wrong. Still, the N95 is much older than the iPhone 3G, so it is bound to be cheaper in a country like India where prices drop fast enough to baffle Newton’s laws. (Thanks to Krazzy for the price headsup)

For those of you who were waiting for Airtel’s prices for the iPhone, hoping that the Indian company would be more sympathetic towards the scores of wannabe iPhone users out there, you’ll be disappointed to know that they’re exactly the same as Vodafone’s.

Those of you who’ve visited the updated iPhone section of Airtel’s website today will be forgiven for thinking that the company hasn’t revealed the prices yet. Only if you click on the “Get ready for iPhone 3G” link and then on the “Expand All” button on the subsequent page will you be treated to the price of the iPhone, along with several other details about its Indian launch.

As expected, Airtel will carry all three models of the iPhone 3G—the 8GB, 16GB black, and 16GB white. The lower capacity version will cost Rs. 31,000 while the higher capacity models retail for Rs. 36,100.

Unlike Vodafone, Airtel offers no option to pay a certain sum in advance to pre-order your iPhone, which means that you’ll probably have to queue up in front of an Airtel Store on this coming Friday in order to be able to lay your hands on the device. iPhones will strictly be available on a first come, first served basis. We advise you to grab a sleeping bag and line up right now; you might find yourself behind a few people even at this moment. (Naah, just kidding!)

Apart from the prices of the device itself, Airtel has also revealed that phones purchased from them will be locked to Airtel’s network but, as is the case with Vodafone, will not require you to commit for a multi-year contract. You can, in fact, use any activated Airtel SIM card with the device, including the one you may be using currently.

They haven’t announced any iPhone specific voice or data plans yet but, given that the launch day is almost upon us, we expect them to loosen their lips pretty soon. As you’d expect, you’ll know about them from us as soon as they’re officially revealed.

Vodafone India has already announced the price of iPhone 3G, as we reported earlier today. We also mentioned how they’d published their voice and data plans and then pulled the info. After some thinking, and hopefully having listened to customer feedback outrage, they’ve altered and republished the data and voice plans for the iPhone.

Highlights of the plans

For Postpaid Customers:
- No unlimited plans. You’ll be charged 5p for every 10KB, after you exhaust your free monthly data usage.
- The monthly rent will range from Rs. 499 to Rs. 999 depending on your usage. The iPhone 499 plan comes with 50MB of free data usage, 250MB for the iPhone 799 plan, and 600MB for the iPhone 999 plan.
- In case you already have a Vodaphone postpaid connection, you can add on an iPhone data plan for Rs. 199, Rs. 499, and Rs. 699 with respectively the same usage limits as the voice plans.

For Prepaid Customers:
An additional card will have to be used with a monthly charge of Rs. 100. You do not get any free data usage option.

Voice calls will be billed as per Vodaphone’s existing tariffs. [Ed note: Vodafone doesn’t require you to sign any contract but the phone will be locked to the carrier. In other words, you’re not legally bound to use the phone for two years but you’ll have to use it with Vodafone for the entire duration of your owning the phone. There won’t be anything like an early termination fee.]

What do you think? Now that Vodafone has declared everything there is to know, are you interested in Vodaphone’s iPhone?