iPhone is here

Author: Shashank Shekhar
Two telcom majors are set for a big battle, this time to capture the the high-end phone market. After making waves the world over, one of the most desired gadgets iPhone will be launched in India on August 22 by Airtel. But rival Vodafone will also come up with its version. However, both the companies are not revealing the shelf price for the slick gadgets.Rival launchSpeculation is rife that Vodafone would also launch iPhone on the same date as Airtel, however an official announcement is yet to be made.Earlier, Vodafone had decided to time its launch 15 days prior to Airtel but was postponed.PricingAccording to sources, it could be priced around Rs 15,000 to 17,000. It costs $199-$299 (Rs 7, 960-Rs 11, 960) in the US.FanfareMarket experts are predicting that it would not attract the fanfare with which it was launched in the US. According to a survey there are around 1.5 lakh iPhones already in the country. India was ranked as third largest unofficial market after China and Russia.The edge, provided by an iPhone, would certainly give Nokia, Sony and Motorola a run for their money.