iPhone 5 Official Launch in India Confirmed for 02 November 2012

Earlier this month, BGR India reported 26 October as the official launch of iPhone 5 in India. But, the very next day, this report was discarded by an Apple spokesperson via FirstPost report.

Finally, we have a great news for Apple fans in India – the iPhone 5 is making an official debut in India on 02 November, 2012.

Perfect timing, Apple!

02 November happens to be the “Karwa Chauth” festival so wives can expect a different jewel on this occasion (in the name of iPhone 5 ;))

Ten days later, it’s Diwali, one of the biggest festivals in India. So, we expect Apple to make some good sales during this festive season.

Last month, Apple slashed the prices for its iPhone 4/4S models in India which was taken as an indication of Apple’s plans to launch iPhone 5 in India anytime soon.

Last week, Apple also started accepting payment in Indian Rupees on its App store, a step that will allow customers to gauge the exact amount they will have to pay-up when they buy an app from its portal. This feature matches up with Google Play store which already accepts payments in India Rupee.

Apple launched iPhone 5 in US last month (at the 12 September Apple media event) and 2 weeks later it became available in stores (on 21 September). In the ‘first wave’ of the iPhone 5 launch, it was introduced in 9 countries on 21 Sep. Later, Apple added 22 additional countries to the roster on 28 September but still India was not on the list.

As per reports, India was expected to be on the ‘third wave’ of the official launch of the device. So, the speculation about its launch ahead of the Diwali shopping season has indeed proved true!

Along with India, iPhone 5 is also expected to be available in Mexico, Greece, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Bulgaria, Croatia, Malta, and Romania. This is in line with Apple’s promise to make the iPhone 5 available in at least 100 countries by the end of the year, although many of those additions will not be coming until December.

iPhone 5 Prices in India

iPhone 5 is available in India in 3 variants of memory storage 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. And, it comes in 2 colours – Black & Slate, White & Silver.

• 16 GB – Rs. 45,500
• 32 GB – Rs. 52,500
• 64 GB – Rs. 59,500

Aircel and Airtel India have already opened preorders for these variants and have also promised to ship the product within 5-6 days. The companies also ensured that nano SIM cards that support iPhone 5 will be available in their outlets beginning November 2.

With the latest iPhone 5 launch in India this year, Apple has changed its strategy and decided to make its latest handset available to customers independent of their mobile operators as well.

This allows the customers to buy only the handset and use any of the carrier services available in the market without having to unlock the handset. Click here for more details about iPhone 5 prices in India.

For full list of features for iPhone 5, head over to this post. You can pre-order iPhone 5 in India now at Airtel or Aircel website. You know what to do next ;)!

iPhone 5 is the perfect gift for your wife this “Karwa Chauth” or on Diwali for your loved ones. So, what are your plans – going to gift it or expecting it as a gift ;)?

via [ET]