New Delhi/Mumbai, India: August 23, 2008 – IR Summary/Agencies - Apple’s iPhone launch has given a poor show in India mainly due to high price, the facility of financing through banks also does not seem to have attracted the people.
 
The snazzy gizmo failed to draw crowds to the stores of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar in sharp contrast to the international markets where iPhone lovers had queued up the whole night to buy the handset.

The mood was subdued at the midnight launch of iPhone at Mumbai’s Infiniti Mall with Friday being a working day. The stage was set for a grand launch, complete with confetti and cheerleaders, but at the stroke of midnight, there were just 10 people who actually bought the high-end device.

At a Vodafone store in Connaught Place, Central Delhi, journalists outnumbered customers by a huge margin. Only about 15 customers turned up to buy the phone. The Airtel retail store nearby wore a deserted look on Friday afternoon, with not a single customer buying the iPhone. In Gurgaon, Airtel unveiled the iPhone at Sahara Mall.

Despite the frenzy, the D-day did not quite match the expectations with just about 35-40 people lining up to buy the coveted smartphone.

Though the launch attracted hundreds of curious onlookers late at night, very few of them were convinced enough to shell out an exorbitant Rs 31,000 for the 8 GB version and Rs 36,100 for the 16 GB one.

“The pricing is a little on the high side. I would have bought it if the price was around Rs 25,000. But at 31,000, it makes little sense. I’ll wait for the price to come down,” said one of the onlookers. Full