Apple Fever Catching Up In India Too

Bangalore: Ever since the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 in the Indian subcontinent last week, the fervor to own the Smartphone has kept on rising with more and more people flocking the shops to lay their hands on this geeky and glitzy device.  

The launch was no less than a grand Indian celebration, replete with models, starlets and catchy beats in metropolitans such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Around 500 people got jostled in a queue at Delhi’s DLF Place mall, a scene imitating the U.S. iPhone frenzy. 

1,50,000 bookings over the month and long queues say it all, the big price tag isn’t deterring the Indian buyers who have to cash out Rs 45,500 for the 16 GB model, Rs 52,500 and Rs 59,500 for the 32GB and the 64GB model respectively.  

Apple faces certain special challenges in India; the customers prefer mobiles without carrier subsidies and an inexpensive price tag.  70 percent of mobiles sold in India cost less than $100 whereas iPhone without carrier subsidies cost around $845. And to add on to the situation, local regulations doesn’t allow Apple to open its own branded stores, and thus it has been forced to partner with local distributors who take their cut in selling its Smartphones.

"I love India," Tim Cook told analysts last summer. "But the sort of the multilayer distribution there really adds to the cost of getting products to market."

The Cupertino giant this time tried something different in India. As the Wall Street Journal’s Indian Realtime says that Apple signed deals with two large electronic chains, Ingram Micro and Reddington, and signed up the celebrities, hyped publicity and turned in the crowd. Another catch is the company’s decision to release iPhone 5 in India just within 42 days of its launch in the U.S. cashing on the already generated buzz.

The new approach seems to be working, adding more buyers every passing day. The customers having a  taste for quality electronics are vying for iPhone 5 overlooking the deterring price.