iPhone fans disappointed in India as sale begins globally

Gizmo freaks call relatives abroad to pick up a phone as Apple once again ignores India

Nidhi Ahuja, 23, a software engineer with local IT firm Pronto Infotech has called up her uncle in Sydney to buy iPhone 5 as she is disappointed with Apple again not including India in its global launch plan.

“I first bought an iPhone last year when iPhone 4S was launched in India, but this time I can not wait,” said Nidhi. She called up her uncle who is on a business trip to Australia to bring the phone.

Today, iPhone fans lined up in Sydney, Tokyo and New York to pick up the latest model of its top selling product. Global sales for iPhone 5 started in Sydney’s George Street at 8 a.m., as about 500 people waited to buy the device.

Besides Australia, the phone is debuting in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany, the UK, Canada and the US today.

"We have to do it," said another i Phone fan Meenal Agarwal a first year B Com student at a H R College of Commerce and Economics. She has asked her cousin in the US to buy the phone for her. "It would be such a craze to bring the latest iPhone to college, I hope India becomes part of global launch from next time" she quips.

“The product is eagerly awaited by the customers here and we have had tremendous level of enquiries at our stores,” said a director at RSG Infotech which is a   premium partner for Apple stores in India.

The launch for the product in India is still not planned, but the fans are hardly patient to buy the smartphone.
The iPhone 5 is thinner, lighter and has a taller screen and faster processor. With a new wireless contract, the device costs $199, $299 and $399 in the US, depending on the amount of memory.

Apple may sell as many as 10 million iPhones during the weekend sales rush, according analyst estimates. Apple generates about two third of its profit from the iPhone, a successful introduction is critical to fuel growth that has led investors to catapult the US based Apple to the world’s most valuable company.

Global investment bank J P Morgan had earlier predicted that the phone could boost the US GDP by 0.5 per cent as Apple is expected to sell around 8 million iPhone 5s in the fourth quarter.