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Handset to be sold in open market with 1-year operator lock-in
For the first time an official, unlocked iPhone will be available in India. By mid April, Apple will launch the iPhone 3G S in India, more than 10 months after its global launch reports Bhaskar Hazarika in New Delhi.
The high-end handset will be sold in the open market, not necessarily only through Apple stores or telecom operators. However, there is another lock-in condition – a buyer of the new model cannot change the operator for one year. The handset will get automatically locked if the SIM card is changed during the period.
The open-market sale indicates Apple has learnt its lessons in India, which gave a lukewarm response to the iPhone 3G launched in August 2008. A person close to the development told financial chronicle that the model, locked and tied to specific telecom operators, gave little Indian business to Apple. Hence, the change in strategy.
For the first time an official, unlocked iPhone will be available in India. By mid April, Apple will launch the iPhone 3G S in India, more than 10 months after its global launch reports Bhaskar Hazarika in New Delhi.
The high-end handset will be sold in the open market, not necessarily only through Apple stores or telecom operators. However, there is another lock-in condition – a buyer of the new model cannot change the operator for one year. The handset will get automatically locked if the SIM card is changed during the period.
The open-market sale indicates Apple has learnt its lessons in India, which gave a lukewarm response to the iPhone 3G launched in August 2008. A person close to the development told financial chronicle that the model, locked and tied to specific telecom operators, gave little Indian business to Apple. Hence, the change in strategy.