iPhone 5: Apple phone Available on Indian e-commerce sites Ahead of Retail Launch Plan

Before the start of retail sales in India, iPhone 5 units are up for sale on eBay e-commerce website. The product is available at a hefty price tag of Rs.74,000 to Rs.88,000. The site mentions that the device will be delivered to users only after they make the complete payment.

Apple has no plans to make iPhone 5 available in India for retail purchase at least till the end of third quarter. Apple is about to release iPhone 5 to the retail stores of nine more countries by Friday. But India is not in the list of countries.

One of the sellers in Bangalore-based eBay claimed that the iPhone 5 will be dispatched within a single business day on or after September 24 and will reach the doorsteps of the person within the next business day if he is living in one of the major cities.

The seller also stated that users will be able to buy the iPhone 5 on an EMI basis with any ICICI, HDFC or Citibank Credit Card. iPhone 5 is available in US at a price tag of $199 (Rs.11,000) for the 16GB model and $299 (Rs.17,000) for the 32GB model followed by $399 (Rs.22,000) for the 64GB model on a contract basis.

Convergence Catalyst, a leading research firm has stated that the smartphones above Rs.25,000 range will contribute to 6.5 percent of the total Indian smartphone market for the year 2012.

The list includes Apple iPhone, HTC One X series and Samsung Galaxy S range of smartphones. The smartphone sales in India are expected to grow by 77 percent during the year 2012 compared to the sales in year 2011. Anshul Gupta, a research analyst for Gartner India stated that iPhone 5 could reach retail stores in India by the fourth quarter of 2012. He stated the pricing could be approximately around Rs.45, 000 or more.

He also made a different view on iPhone 5 stating, “Although with iPhone 5, Apple has enhanced consumer experience further, it lacks the ‘wow’ experience or differentiating features like Siri in the last iteration to pull out users from other brands.”

Specifications Of iPhone 5