“Bringing the iPhone to the world’s second-largest nation will present a big set of challenges for Apple. Like in other countries Apple has made overtures with, Indian telecoms likely won’t easily warm to the company’s revenue sharing model. Even if iPhone makes it to the Indian market, only 17 out of 1,000 mobile users there currently buy high-end devices, and three out of four prefer prepaid plans to contracts,” Ritwik Donde reports for The Economic Times.
“Industry players said there will be stiff resistance from India’s service providers, who are already offering some of the world’s lowest tariffs, to share 10 percent of their billing revenue with Apple, as the company has successfully extracted from phone companies elsewhere. ‘Not many operators would want to go with such a pro-Apple model despite its huge anticipation in the Indian markets,’ a top official at a large telecom service provider said. According to IDC India, mobile services average revenue per user (ARPU) stands at a paltry 246 rupees per month (US$6.24), less than a fourth of what it was a decade ago,” Donde reports.
“Gadget watchers are also speculating on which service operator is best suited to bring iPhone to India, should there be an exclusive deal. ‘If it is looking for a service provider with a large subscriber base and a pan-India presence, Airtel is its best choice,’ ” said Nandita Krishna, senior research analyst at Frost and Sullivan,” Donde reports.
More in the full article via TechNewsWorld here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Ampar” for the heads up.]
@You
“US != extremes of riches and poverty.
Seriously, go live somewhere where poverty is real. The US is not even close.”
ummmm. what about New Orleans!!! They still don’t have homes!!! Are you blind? or maybe you’re going to redefine poverty?
Will dominate the world. you will see it in your lifetime. They are 35% of the world. They have the manpower and the brains to do it. wait and see.
@silverhawk
“What came first, the rooster or the hen?”
Isn’t it always the rooster?
China will dominate the world. You will see it in your lifetime.
Or at least its cancer wards. While Chian’s classically measured GDP is growing at a phenomenal rate, their real GDP is negative, what with all the environmental damage that has been done and is ongoing. Life expectancy is actually decreasing in China. (Sorry, I have no knowledge of India. Can anyone comment?)
Remember, dead men buy no mobile phones.
“Remember, dead men buy no mobile phones.”
Try telling that to Microsoft’s PR department.
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/871631
@ Indian Guy
Agreed! If only to have Sushmita Sen 24/7 on my Mac, iPod & (coming soon) TV! 😀
Here’s a novel idea, Apple. Why don’t you concentrate on selling iPhones in Canada and Mexico before you worry your pretty little head about selling in India?
“Seriously, go live somewhere where poverty is real. The US is not even close.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Seriously, dude, get your head out of your butt before you suffocate. (Also, you look ridiculous.)
The Indian people are pretty shrewd. They stay away from high end phones because they know the phones are CRAP. The iPhone will change all of that.