5 iPhone questions for Airtel,Vodafone !

Apple's 3G iPhone is set to be launched in Inida on Firday August 22, within a month of the global launch. Though Apple has partnered with only one mobile operator per country,India is one of only three countries (Italy and Australia being the other two) to have multiple operators-Airtel and Vodafone.

Apple may have squeezed its partner operator in nearly every developed country, but in India the operators have so far held all the aces. It is not going to be smooth sailing though as the iPhone's India launch will bring a whole new set of challenge to the table. Abhimanyu Radhakrishnan has five questions for Airtel and Vodafone regarding the impending iPhone services ...

Go for MID: It's cheaper and faster than 3G.

3G mobile services, to be launched in India on August 22, is set to have serious competition. The reason is simple: if you are looking for high quality video streaming of movies and want to play multiplayer on-line games, it's not 3G services alone you need to look at.

All you will have to do is to pay around Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 for a mobile internet device with a screen like your PDA and get speeds, which are three times faster than what was promised by 3G mobile operators.

Which companies got 3G License in India?

3G spectrum has been provided to GSM players like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limites, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar (then Hutch) to carry out an interface check on a non-commercial basis ahead of the start of 3G mobile services.

As per the guideline, any licensed telecom operator can bid for 3G spectrum and the radio waves will be auctioned in 5-10 blocks depending on the availability. Each successful bidder will be allocated only one block in a service area.


Spectrum will be auctioned in the 450 Mhz, 800 Mhz band for EVDO (for CDMA players) and in 1900 band when it is available.

All about 3G and what it means for you !

There is no firm date set for the auction of 3G spectrum, but it is likely to take place before February 2009 since the government may need the money to keep its deficit within control; current estimates put the initial entry fee bids that the government will get at any where between 30,000 crore (Rs, 300 billion) and 40,000 crore (Rs,400 billion).

In that case, by about December 2009, India may get broadband-type internet speeds on mobile phones. That, in turn, will allow users to view movies on their mobile phones, conduct video telephony while on the move, and so on.
Users demand better and faster services, and as they start using high-end phones, they want more information, faster data access and multimedia services through their mobile phones. Only 3G technology provides this. So what is 3G spectrum all about? Read on. . .

New launches - India

MOTORAZR2 ™ V9
Sony Ericsson W350i
June 2008
Virgin Mobile - vTrendy
HTC P3350
Nokia N 78
May 2008
Samsung Soul U900
Samsung D780
Samsung SGH-E251
Samsung SGH-M120
Samsung SGH-J150
Samsung BeaT450
Samsung Guru 145
Samsung Guru 300
HTC Touch Diamond
LG KF 510
LG KP 320
LG KP 110
Samsung Guru B200
HTC Touch Cruise
Motorola RAZR2
April 2008
MOTOYUVA W270
MOTOROKR U9 (would be in market by May end)
HTC P3470
Samsung ‘2ON’ – (Dual Standby CDMA cum GSM)
LG KF600
March 2008
HTC TyTN II
HTC P3000 (Reliance) - Windows based smartphone
HTC S720 (Reliance) - Windows based smartphone
SonyEricsson XPERIA™ X1 (would be available in July)
Virgin Mobile ( CDMA services, RUIM - SIM based )

February 2008
Samsung SGH i450
Samsung SGH G800
Samsung SGH F490
Samsung SGH i550
Samsung SGH D880
Samsung SGH i780
Samsung SGH F250
Samsung SGH J210
Samsung Soul U900
Samsung Serenata
Samsung Armani
Samsung P960
January 2008
Sagem 245 x
Nokia 1650
December 2007
LG Viewty (KU990)
HTC Touch Dual
November 2007
Nokia N82
Samsung Metal 5
Samsung Max (CDMA, open market)
Nokia 5610
Nokia 5310
Moto Qgsm
3G Moto Q9h
Sagem Bleu - 454x
SonyEricsson W910i
BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (with Airtel)
Nokia N81
Nokia N95 8GB
October 2007
HTC P3300
Palm Treo 750
BenQ-Siemens EF71
Spice S- 808n
Spice S-600n
BenQ-Siemens EF51
Sagem Bleu - 253X and 351X
Sagem 145x, 151x, 251x, 214x
Samsung Serenata
Reliance Classic (Color handsets @ Rs 999 onwards)
BlackBerry Curve 8300 (with BPLmobile)

Carry mobile phone is risk for your health !

The mobile phone is become life line for every one. The beloved mobile phone without which most people feel completely powerless is actually a danger in disguise, says a leading health expert, who has called for limiting the use of the mobile phone because of its possible cancer risk.

What iPhone doesn't have !

iPhone has become revolution in phone world. The demand seems to be increasing with each passing day. And as every buyer would proudly wink and declare his iPhone status, the have nots will recoil and steel their resolve to acquire one. By now you would surely remember by heart what the iPhone has.But wait, do you also know what it does not have?We bring you a list of features that tells you what even the iconic iPhone doesn't have.......

• However, the new iPhone offers nothing new in terms of looks. The 3G iPhone looks pretty much like its predecessors.
• However, 3G iPhone disappoints with the same 2 megapixel camera and no video recording option and flash and optical zoom too missing.
• Another sorely missed out features are multimedia messaging and voice dialing.
• User replaceable battery and tactile feedback for the touchscreen, both have been given a miss in the new iPhone
• Users were expecting a landscape keyboard, capability to cut and paste, expanded memory and additional Bluetooth profiles - which all too is missing.
• There is no support for Adobe Flash in 3G iPhone.
• This may be hard to digest. BlackBerry has it, Nokia has it, however, 3G iPhone lacks it.