You may be one of those lucky Indians to have laid your hands on the legendary iPhone. But your joy may just be short-lived. The highly anticipated phone came at a huge price in the Indian markets and it just doesn’t stop there. The touch screen handset’s internet surfing capabilities is expected to raise its user’s monthly bills by 25 %, far more than other high-end mobiles in the market.Romal Shetty, Executive Director of the research firm KPMG, mentioned, iPhone will increase its owner’s bills by more than 25-30 per cent of what they used to pay earlier, especially if he uses all the functions that the phone offers in the country.”
He also brought to notice that this latest gizmo even otherwise is too expensive, keeping it out of reach of most Indians.
Manoj Mohta, head of another analysis firm CRISIL Research, further pointed out, “Only after 3G comes in will the service providers launch more of data-oriented plans. But until then it will remain an expensive proposition.”
Telecom industry experts reveal that iPhone users should get ready to cough up nearly 25 to 30 % additional in billing charges. The two service providers Vodafone and Bharti Airtel who launched the iPhone in India are sure going to rake up some moolah. The service providers have designed some special iPhone-specific data plans mainly targeted to promote net surfing and aim to raise data usage.
On a plan of Rs 799 and Rs 999, Vodafone users can enjoy 250 MB and 600 MB respectively data usage free per month. On the other hand iPhone-specific plans will have a basic monthly rental of Rs 600 with free 500 MB per month for Bharti Airtel customers.
Telecom analysts, however assert that the current plans are just not economical enough. The bundling strategies of the plans are designed in such a way that they will encourage iPhone users to spend much more through their endless value added services (VAS).
An additional burden in terms of cost is the recurrent use of the iTunes to download content. The chief reason for this is the absence of Bluetooth services to transfer or get music from other phones. An Apple creation, the repeated use of this software is sure to dig a huge hole in your pocket.
With no availability of sufficient Indian specific content, the iPhone may actually be a real disappointment for Indian owners.
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