Buying an Apple iPhone in India

When I went to purchase a carrying case for my N95 8GB this weekend at a leading mobile phone retail chain in Bangalore, I was in for a surprise. I noticed them selling an Apple iPhone to a consumer there! For a moment, I thought I should have got temporarily sunk in a time warp when Apple released the iPhone in India. On further questioning, I was told that they are selling the piece without warranty. That explains clearly that it is a grey market unlocked handset. Seeing the demand for the iPhone from the customers, they have started selling these in the show room. The price was quoted at Rs 26,500 for the 8GB model, which means $200 premium over the AT&T version in US. This makes it pretty clear that it is high time that Apple officially released this in India.

Till the official release is made in India, there are several ways to purchase the iPhone. If you live in Chennai, you can get it from Burma Bazaar where the current going price is about Rs 25 to 26K for the 8GB model. Don’t pay more, as they are found in abundance here. Similarly in Bangalore, you can purchase iPhones from the Burma Bazaar near Majestic. You will find many shops selling these around Tiribhuvan theatre. The prices are similar to Chennai’s. You could also buy it from the retail chain, Sangeetha, who has shops all around Bangalore.

I do not know about other cities, but there is an easier way to get it if you live in a small city: Online. There are some online shops like Gadgets.in and GadgetsGuru.com which sell iPhone in the price range of 25 to 26K. I have seen some iPhones being sold at shopping.rediff.com also. Of course there is eBay.in too, but be extra careful as many sellers have single digit feedback. Always pay through paisapay if you are purchasing from eBay India.

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any of the above sites or shops. The above post should be treated of informational value only and please apply common sense and and extra vigilance when buying products in grey.