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[video] Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Finally Launch the iPhone 3G in India

Telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have finally launched Apple’s coveted iPhone 3G in India.

“5…..4…..3…..2…..1…..Happy iPhone release!” At least that is what the crowds may have said outside of the Gurgaon mall in New Delhi, India. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone are the ones responsible for bringing the iPhone 3G to India, where consumers are undeterred by the device’s 31,000 R-plus price tag. Swati, a local college student, was the first individual in India to get their hands on the coveted device. He had been waiting in line since 7 p.m. that evening and had the pleasure of the president of Bharti Mobile devices, Mr. Sanjay Kapoor himself, handing over the country’s first iPhone sold.

Similar to here in the United States, the phone come locked to a service provider, meaning a user cannot switch his or her operator while using the iPhone. Naturally, the availability of a number of software in the market for hacking the iPhone has not gone unnoticed, but providers feel the service their provide in their plans will speak for themselves. Before the release of the iPhone 3G there were more than 30,000 iPhone users in India using second generation iPhones that became available on the grey market in India.

Rudra Khurana, 14, a student of Modern School, was one of the buyers of the iPhone 3G. He went for the expensive version at Rs 36,000.

“This is the coolest and best,” said an excited Rudra, clutching his phone.

“The best thing is that new features are added to it, and it also has a 16 GB iPod,” he said.

Aditya Malik whooped with excitement after he bought his iPhone. “I’m excited because I have got an Apple iPhone. I am not bothered about the price. Good things come at a price,” Malik said.

“I have been waiting for a year to buy one. Last year I missed buying the iPhone 2G, which was launched June 5, as I left for the US on June 3. Now I am very happy to have got the latest one,” he said.

Twenty-two-year-old Nishant Arya, a businessman, was equally happy though he has the earlier versions of the iPhone. “I already have five iPhones. This is the sixth. I bought it because my family wanted it. The earlier phones were 2G, this is 3G.”

The below video is of the first iPhone 3G owner in India.

Read – Ibnlive.com
[via MacDailyNews]