Aircel and Airtel are the two partners that are offering Apple iPhone 3GS in India. Airtel so far has not announced any reduction in price of iPhone 3GS and is selling the same for Rs. 20,908, which is more than double the price of Aircel's version.
To further sweeten the deal, Aircel is also offering unlimited 3G data for a full one year with the purchase of iPhone 3GS by paying an additional Rs. 3,000 upfront at the time of purchase. However, this option is available only in the circles where Aircel is offering 3G and there is a fair usage cap of 2GB per month, post which users can continue to download unlimited data at the speed of 128kbps.
For the circles in which 3G is not available subscribers will be able to get unlimited 2G data (with the fair usage cap of 2GB), 1000 local/national minutes and 2500 local/national SMS for six months on payment of Rs. 3,000.
However, if an Aircel subscribers opts for the company's 'money saver plan,' then they would have to pay Rs.20,990 for this very iPhone.
Aircel is offering Apple iPhone 4 16 GB model for Rs.34,500 and the 32 GB one for Rs. 40,900 while Airtel's website has listed both these variants as 'out of stock'.
Metro launches iPhone edition app - Metro.co.uk
Following on from the recently unveiled Facebook app and award-winning tablet edition, the iOS app is the latest addition to Metro's burgeoning suite of mobile products.
You can now read a downloaded version of Metro on your iPhone in a near identical format to the newspaper, further improved by the functionality available on the smartphone.
A free subscription service will be available through Newsstand on iOS, which will enable auto-download and off-line-reading capability.
The new version promises to be better and faster than ever, with extra content including video and audio clips, and a sleeker, more stylish layout.
Linda Grant, Managing Director at Metro, said: 'I’m delighted to be announcing the latest launches of the iPhone and Kindle editions plus Facebook app, which mean Metro is now available on a whole host of different devices in addition to the newspaper and online products.'
In addition, Metro’s Digital edition on Kindle e-ink launched this month as an ad-free version of the newspaper available for £1.99 per month.
This follows Metro’s Facebook app launch recently, which provides an even better experience for readers on the social network.
Grant added: 'As we look to extend the appeal of Metro beyond the traditional commute, we’re continuing to innovate and develop our mobile and digital offerings.
'Our vision is to ensure Metro’s content is available to urbanites on the move, at any time of day and across the channels that best suit them.'
The launch of the Facebook app, Digital edition on Kindle e-ink and iPhone edition are all part of a push by Metro to reach a wider audience via mobile and digital channels.
Metro has also been helping people connect by supplying free WIFI at the Udderbelly Festival and London Wonderground, which is sponsored by Metro.
Nokia revival hopes fade as analysts cut targets - Reuters
HELSINKI, July 20 - Analysts cut their price targets on Nokia to little more than the value of its cash and patents on Friday as hopes fade that phones using new Microsoft software can revive the ailing mobile company anytime soon.
The launch of new Lumia smartphones, expected to start in September, has turned into a make-or-break event for Nokia boss Stephen Elop, the architect of a tie-up with Microsoft which has so far done little to resurrect the firm's challenge to the dominance of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy models.
But confidence is low after Nokia reported a thumping quarterly loss on Thursday and warned of another big splash of red ink for its phone business in the third quarter.
On Friday, credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Nokia, having previously warned it would do so if it was not convinced the firm could stabilize revenue declines and revive margins.
"The release of Nokia's Q2 results indicate that the company is currently not near this position and Fitch is not convinced that this can be attained anytime soon," it said.
Nokia's shares, down about 80 percent since February 2011 when Elop announced the shift to the largely untried Microsoft Windows phone operating system, jumped 12 percent on Thursday as investors breathed a sigh of relief that the Finnish group was not burning through its cash pile as quickly as feared.
But the stock fell back 5 percent on Friday, as analysts mostly took a more cautious view on a recovery plan being implemented amid economic uncertainty and stiff competition.
Many set their price targets for the shares at around 1-3 euros, at best little more than the estimated value of its cash and patent portfolio.
Nokia's net cash position at the end of the year is seen at around 3 billion euros, or about 0.80 euro per share, compared with the 1.12 euros per share it had at the end of June.
The patent portfolio, one of the largest in the mobile industry, is estimated to be worth 0.5-1.0 euro per share.
In the second quarter, Nokia used its strength in patents to boost its cash, booking a 400-million-euro prepayment from a licensing deal. It refused to say who made the payment, but analysts and patent experts say it came either from Apple or Microsoft.
LAST ROLL OF THE DICE
Sales of Nokia's Lumia phones, which run the Microsoft software, have yet to grab share back from Apple and Samsung Electronics smartphones in the most profitable part of the mobile market.
The Microsoft platform had only a 2 percent market share in the first quarter of 2012, compared with 23 percent for Apple and 56 percent for Google's Android platform, which is used by multiple mobile phone firms including Samsung.
Some analysts think new Lumia models using Windows Phone 8 (WP8) software could still change that, with local banks Nordea and Pohjola upgrading Nokia shares to "buy" on Friday.
But for most, the jury is out.
"Nokia's recovery story has paused ... We conclude that the next phase of improvement requires the launch of the Windows Phone 8 units. Nokia's story remains theoretical pending consumer adoption of WP8," Barclays analysts said.
Nomura analyst Stuart Jeffrey said Microsoft's Windows 8 software for computers - which will have a similar look and feel to the Windows version for smartphones - might eventually help Nokia, but it would take time.
"We thus believe that Nokia's traction may prove muted in H1 2013 even if the Windows Phone does take off, with H2 perhaps showing greater strength," he said in a note.
Some investors said patience may soon run out. Juha Varis, who holds Nokia shares as part of the Danske Invest Finnish Equity Fund, said Elop was likely to come under pressure if there was no breakthrough by the end of the year.
"If Windows Phones stay at current levels, I think they have to do a Plan B. They would need to do something drastic, and I think the view is that Elop is not that guy," he said on Thursday as he read through the results.
Nokia remained defiant in the face of the Fitch downgrade.
"We have a strong focus on cash conservation as we continue our transition," a spokesman said.
(Editing by Mark Potter)
Apple iPhone 4S (Cricket Wireless) - PC Magazine
The nation's cheapest iPhone 4S with unlimited talk time comes from Cricket Wireless. Along with Virgin Mobile, Cricket is bringing down the price of an iPhone as measured over two years, with its service plan. The iPhone 4S is an excellent device. But just like with the Virgin Mobile model, Cricket's iPhone, at $499.99, is so much more expensive than other off-contract smartphones that it's difficult to recommend wholeheartedly.
The iPhone 4S on Cricket is the same model, with the same software, network, and features as you'll find on Sprint. Read our Sprint iPhone 4S review for all the details. (Also, the Sprint iPhone is pictured in the slideshow below.) But note that the Sprint model earned 4.5 stars and our Editors' Choice endorsement at the time, and this version of the phone is only getting 4 stars. We can explain.
A Really Cheap iPhone
First, the good news. The $499.99 16GB iPhone 4S on Cricket works with the carrier's $55 per month plan, which offers unlimited talk time and 2.5GB of 3G data. Cricket has no contracts, so you can switch out your phone any time you want.
Measured over two years, Cricket's iPhone is much more affordable than competing devices from Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, and it's cheaper than a Virgin Mobile iPhone on an unlimited talk time plan. Virgin offers a less-expensive $35/month, 300-minute plan, though, and Cricket doesn't.
Here's how the cheapest iPhones shake out: a Virgin Mobile iPhone 4S on the 300-minute plan costs $1,489.99 over two years. Cricket's, with the unlimited talk time plan, costs $1,819.99. Virgin's, with unlimited talk time, costs $1,969. Sprint's model is cheaper up front at $199.99 but requires an $80 per month plan with a two-year contract, so it's $2,119.99. AT&T's and Verizon's service plans are even more expensive.
Not Quite Networked
Cricket is a hybrid carrier. In many cities it runs its own 3G CDMA network. In others, it uses Sprint's.
Because the iPhone doesn't have the 1700MHz band Cricket uses in many cities, Cricket's iPhone isn't available in Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Seattle, Washington, DC, or several other major markets.
If you buy a Cricket iPhone elsewhere, it will still work if you travel to those cities, because it will piggyback on Sprint's network. But you can only buy Cricket's iPhone if you live in one of the 59 cities listed here. That's frustrating.
And remember, you get the same nationwide performance as Sprint. That has its up sides and its down sides. The up side is a relatively consistent network. The down side is the slowest 3G network in the nation, as measured by our 30-city network speed tests.
Cricket phones don't support 4G yet, so I'm not going to ding this phone for it's lack of 4G.
A Really Costly Cricket Phone
The iPhone is a brilliant cultural touchstone with an unmatched library of high-quality apps. But you'll be paying a massive premium over other phones from similar carriers to enjoy it.
The Editors' Choice Huawei Mercury (4.5 stars) is $199.99 with the same service plan. Admittedly, it doesn't quite match up to the iPhone on specs with a lower-resolution screen, and a single-core, rather than a dual-core processor. But it's a handsome, well-built phone, it's available in all Cricket markets, and it's much, much less expensive.
The decision here isn't as clear as it is on Virgin Mobile, where a better competing phone is available in the HTC EVO V 4G (4 stars, $299.99). It's safe to say the iPhone 4S is a better device than the Mercury. But it isn't $300 better. That's the issue, and that's why the Huawei Mercury keeps our Editors' Choice designation.
Conclusions
The Cricket Wireless iPhone is the least expensive iPhone 4S model available with an unlimited calling plan, if you factor in the cost of the service plan over two years. But while it's a good phone, it's too expensive compared with other models on the market.
We're just a few months away from a new iPhone launch this fall. More importantly, Cricket, Virgin, and MetroPCS all offer high-quality Android phones with no contract for much less money. Along with Cricket's Huawei Mercury and Virgin's HTC EVO V, there's MetroPCS's LG Connect 4G ($249, 4 stars), which has a dual-core processor and 4G LTE speed. The iPhone 4S is an excellent phone, and in many ways it's the best of this bunch. But its price needs to come down to compete.
More Cell Phone Reviews:
• Apple iPhone 4 (Cricket Wireless)
• Apple iPhone 4 (Virgin Mobile)
• Apple iPhone 4S (Cricket Wireless)
• Apple iPhone 4S (Virgin Mobile)
• RIM BlackBerry Curve 9310 (Verizon Wireless)
• more
The iPhone killer Nokia that never was - NDTV
In a WSJ article where Nokia executives present and past look at the company's journey from the top dog to just another vendor in the smartphone world, Frank Nuovo, the former chief designer at Nokia, made the rather interesting revelation.
More than seven years before Apple Inc. rolled out the iPhone, the Nokia team showed a phone with a color touch screen set above a single button. The device was shown locating a restaurant, playing a racing game and ordering lipstick. In the late 1990s, Nokia secretly developed another alluring product: a tablet computer with a wireless connection and touch screen--all features today of the hot-selling Apple iPad.
"Oh my God," Mr. Nuovo says as he clicks through his old slides. "We had it completely nailed."
It's not clear from the article if these were just ideas in a presentation or working prototypes, but the fact is Nokia passed over them, and we all know how that turned out.
Apple released the iPhone in 2007, and blew everyone away with its fresh design and unique decisions like dropping the stylus, which had been a integral part of most touchscreen phones until then. Nokia, and the rest of the mobile industry at the time, were slow to react to the iPhone.
Then Nokia CEO dismissed the iPhone as just a device with "cool factor" that would struggle to "turn mindshare into market share".
iPhone 5 Rumour Round-up - ibtimes.co.uk
Apple has never released an iPhone in August, but what makes this rumour more than a little sketchy is Apple's claim that iOS 6 will come out in the autumn.
We can't see Apple releasing a new iPhone using the current iOS 5 software, knowing a major update is just around the corner, and with iOS 6 still deep in beta development we doubt it'd be ready just a month from now.
A day later, on 14 July, Japanese Apple blog Macotakara claimed that another "reliable source" - this time in China - said the new iPhone was already in production and featured an aluminium rear panel.
It's not in production and won't be announced on 7 August
Just days after we were told that it would arrive on 7 August, yet more "trusted sources" came out of the woodwork to tell BRG that the new iPhone isn't yet in production, and is still being developed.
The anonymous tipster added that the new iPhone will be launched in October, as we're all expecting, and it will have 1GB of RAM, and LTE radio for 4G browsing, and an NFC chip.
None of this is particularly surprising, but it's good to know that Apple is including these upgrades to bring the iPhone back in line with rivals like the Galaxy S3 and HTC One X.
We're interested in NFC, which will presumably work with the new Passbook app in iOS 6 to enable contactless payments and the ability to store digital loyalty cards, travel tickets and more.
BGR said: "It's certainly possible Apple is producing engineering samples of new iPhones and has started manufacturing device enclosures to iron out any problems with the manufacturing line before real production starts, but that's all that is happening at this point in time.
"The final version of Apple's next iPhone - the one that you will buy - has not started production yet."
Larger screen and repositioned camera
Also this week, Chinese website Apple.pro posted a photo claiming to be of an iPhone 5 front, minus the screen.
The image shows a relocated front-facing camera to make room for a larger screen. Although measuring four inches - up from the 3.5in iPhone 4S - the screen is no wider. Instead, the display is taller, producing a 16:9 aspect ratio which would be perfect for watching widescreen films on.
We've been expecting the new iPhone to have a larger screen for some time now, so these parts could well be the real deal.
Nano SIM stockpiles mounting
We all know that Apple has helped develop a new nano SIM card standard, that sees SIM cards shrink to be even smaller than the micro SIM used in the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3 and others.
The new design was approved by the mobile phone industry's standard group earlier this year.
Well now it seems that European mobile networks are ordering huge numbers of the new SIM cards, according to the Financial Times, all but confirming that the new iPhone will use this technology.
Using a smaller SIM card means that the internal layout of the phone can be more flexible, making space for more memory or better heat management, for example.
Citing two sources - who are, presumably, "familiar with the situation" - the FT claims that telecom companies are ordering nanoSIMs by the millions and storing them in warehouses in an attempt to be prepared for huge iPhone 5 sales.
The iPhone 5 will have a thinner screen
Apple loves thinness, so there's no way the company would pass off the chance to make its new iPhone fractionally thinner, by using a new technology that integrates the display and touch sensors into one piece.
Sure, it might not be as exciting as a wrist-mounted spider phone, but every little helps and with the Samsung Galaxy S3 being slightly thinner than the iPhone 4S, Apple will be keen to show it can put its smartphone on a diet.
While we're less inclined to believe some rumours from little-known Chinese rumour mills, this nugget of iPhone speculation comes from The Wall Street Journal, albeit via those ever-faithful "people familiar with the matter."
The new tech is thought to shave the iPhone down from 9.3 to 7.9mm thick, 0.7mm less than the Galaxy S3. This may not sound like much, but it'll certainly be noticeable when the new iPhone finally arrives.
As always, Apple is yet to confirm any of the above and it will be sure to remain silent until invites to the iPhone announcement drop into our inboxes later in the year.
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