iPhone 5S, 5C debut in India today

Apple Inc, the US phone maker, will launch its high-end model iPhone 5S and its cheaper counterpart iPhone 5C in India on Friday.

The iPhone 5S, with 64 GB of storage space, Touch ID, a fingerprint recognition system and an updated camera, has a similar design as that of its predecessor iPhone 5.

Apple, at an event on September 10, launched iPhone 5C and introduced iPhone 5S in the US market. Ten days later, the expensive model was released.

In India, customers get the new models in the price range of Rs 41,900 to Rs 71,500.

One can look for some exciting offers, including easy payment options, as the US phone maker has tied up Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications.

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Airtel subscribers can book a handset of their choice online from 4 pm on Thursday, while customers of other operators can do so an hour later.

The delivery of the phones will start the next day.

Airtel has already started pre-launch bookings in select stores in the country.

Reliance customers can book a phone after paying about Rs 2,500 upfront from Thursday midnight.

Telecom firms say they are expecting more than 10,000 bookings in the first two hours.

Vendors say Apple expects to sell about 3,00,000 handsets in the first three months.

They say 65 per cent of the demand will come for iPhone 5S.

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The rest will be the cheaper models of iPhone 5C, which many expect would herald Apple’s entry into the low-cost smartphone market.

But, the price tag of Rs 41,000 will be too high for those looking for cheaper options.

According to sales tracker Canalys, Apple’s share in the smartphone market in terms of volume is 2 per cent and 5 per cent in terms of value in the April-June quarter.  

According to IDC, however, it has a market share of 2.3 per cent in terms of volume in the same period. Based sales projections, Apple may clock a turnover of about Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) in the first three months.

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In the US, Apple sells the iPhone 5S bundled with a service contract for $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB), while one without the contract can be had for $649, $749 or $849 for the respective memory capacities.

The iPhone 5C, meanwhile, is sold at $99 (16GB) and $199 (32GB), while the versions without contract sell at $549 and $649, respectively.

NO APPLE FOR ‘MANGO’ MAN

Apple launches its latest line of iPhones in India on Friday.

The range starts from Rs 41,900 for the iPhone 5C (16GB) and goes up to Rs 71,000 for the iPhone 5S (64GB).

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A look at what you can get for the same kind of money. . .

• Apple iPhone 5C (16 GB): Rs 41,900
• LG LED TV (32 inch):  Rs 37,000
• Samsung Smart TV (32 inch): Rs 31,900-41,500
• Hero Dawn (97.2 cc):  Rs 37,000
• Nikon D5200 (body only):  Rs 41,450
• Apple iPhone 5C (32 GB):  Rs 51,000
• LG Smart TV (32 inch):  Rs 47,000
• Apple iPhone 5S (16 GB): Rs 53,000
• LG Smart TV (42 inch):  Rs 56,000
• Apple iPhone 5S (32 GB): Rs 62,000
• Bajaj Pulsar (135cc):  Rs 60,539
• Apple iPhone 5S (64 GB): Rs 71,000
• LG smart TV (50 inch):  Rs 85,000
• Tata Nano:  Rs 142,000 (price of 2 phones)
• Maruti Alto 800 STD:  Rs 245,000 (a little more than what three phones will cost)

Source: Markets; Compiled by Sounak Mitra; all vehicle prices are ex-showroom, New Delhi