Indian iPhone pricing

The Indian branch of Vodafone says it is now taking pre-orders for the iPhone 3G, in advance of its official launch in the country, scheduled for Friday, August 22nd. 8 and 16GB iPhones will be available, and will cost Rs 31,000 ($710) and Rs 36,100 ($830), respectively. These prices are significantly higher than in the US market, where the 8GB model can be obtained for as low as $200.

Although India has long been without 3G networks, GigaOM reports that the Indian Department of Telecommunications will be issuing about a dozen 3G licenses that will be used in densely populated regions such as Andhra, Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Kolkata and Madhya. Additional 3G licenses will be issued for Delhi and Bombay, although comparatively less than in other regions, due to limited spectrum availability.

by MacNN Staff