A few days after confirmation by Ingram Micro that the Apple iPhone would be going on sale starting November 2, we now have confirmation from both Airtel and Aircel that the device would go on sale on the same day. Both these operators have started taking preorders for the latest version of the apple iPhone. Airtel and Aircel have both updated their websites with an option to preorder the device. The price of the base 16 GB version starts at a whopping 45,000 while the top of the line 64 GB model will cost you a monumental Rs.59,500.
Airtel and Aircel both say that they will ship the devices to users within 7 to 8 days of receiving the orders. For users who prefer buying the iPhone 5 from retail, the operators would soon have nano SIM cards on sale as well.
Unlike opting for exclusive carrier tie ups as it has been doing in the past, this time, Apple has tied up with Ingram Micro and Redington who will distribute the iPhone 5 across the country. This is sure to widen the reach and availability of the phone – albeit the high price even for the base version might put off many users – especially when considering the fact that the flagship Samsung Galaxy S III costs almost Rs. 10,000 lesser than the base version of the iPhone. Apart from wideing its reach in India, apple also recently updated its App Store to reflect pricing in Indian Rupee.
It was just last month that Apple started selling the iPhone 5 in selct markets around the globe. The company managed to sell over 5 million units of the device in under three days – a record. It was also reported that most users in the U.S and Canada had updated to iOS 6, the latest version of the OS running on iPhones and iPads – even though it was criticised for the new iOS Maps application.