Date:22/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/22/stories/2008082258420200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

iPhone 3G comes calling

Shyam Ranganathan

Cute set: First customer receives the iPhone 3G in an outlet at Alwarpet on Thursday midnight. — Photo: R.Ravindran

Chennai: While most of Chennai slept, on Thursday, a small set of ‘technophiles’ ushered in a new entrant to the city’s airwaves. The much-talked about iPhone 3G arrived not with a bang, but with a pleasant ringtone - two actually, counting both competitors Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.

The two GSM operators, who have exclusive rights in India for the latest from Apple’s stable of style, organised a bash for iPhone enthusiasts at midnight.

Bharti Airtel invited celebrities, including Crown Prince of Arcot Nawabzada Mohammed Asif Ali, playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and actor Prasanna to the launch. The Airtel store on Khader Nawaz Khan Road had a party atmosphere. Mr. Ali was the first customer at Airtel for the phone.

Rajiv Rajagopal, CEO, Bharti Airtel Mobile Service, Tamil Nadu, said, “The phones will be available across 83 stores in Tamil Nadu from tomorrow.” He said that nearly 2 lakh people across India had registered on Airtel’s website for the iPhone and more than 60 per cent were from the metros including Chennai.

Vodafone launched the phone by calling in the first few people who registered for it for a celebration in the TTK Road office.

A Vodafone representative said that the phone would be on air within 20 minutes.

The fact that India is yet to roll out its first 3G network is only a minor irritant to these enthusiasts.

Mr. Rajagopal of Airtel said that Bharti’s data handling capacity was already sufficient and 3G would be a value addition whenever it came into effect. Vodafone representatives held the same view.

The Rs.30,000-plus phone comes in two models with 8GB and 16GB storage. It packs a host of features that the youngsters would love – a sleek look, a large touchscreen with very high resolution and multimedia applications.

It also promises functionality with GPS mapping, fast wireless access and a “desktop-class web browser.”