Are 2 Carriers Getting iPhone to India?

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) said in a statement today that it will bring Apple's iPhone to India, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines this year. Meanwhile, Airtel issued a separate statement saying it will bring the iPhone to India. As it is, SingTel has a stake in Bharti Airtel so the iPhone via SingTel would be made available on the Airtel network in India.

What is curious though is that just last week, Vodafone said it is bringing the iPhone to India later this year, along with nine other countries including the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, and Turkey. In fact even Telecom Italia announced its deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Italy in the second half of the year, which means the iPhone in Italy too will not remain exclusive to Vodafone's network.

If Vodafone and Airtel are both right, does that mean the Apple iPhone will be brought to India by two carriers? We at Techtree feel this could be the next step in Apple's strategy to do away with their exclusivity clause -- after Italy. Which would bring down prices of the iPhone considerably -- with both telcos vying for a larger share of the Apple pie in India. And for customers, it may well mean good times lie ahead...

Sony Ericsson phone, codenamed "Paris
A month ago, photos showing a new Sony Ericsson phone, codenamed "Paris", appeared on the Internet. Most of them were fuzzy and inconclusive, but today, sharper ones became available, showing the device in all its glory. The photos reveal a hybrid QWERTY keyboard, similar to the P1 and other previous models. Also, a 5-megapixel camera hidden under a protective cover, is clearly visible on the back of the phone.

Sony Ericsson Z555i: Magpie fodder
Do you do when you've created an average phone with average features, but still want to get the punters excited? You make it shiny. The Sony Ericsson Z555i isn't a phone with much to shout about, but it does have a front section that glistens like a hippo's back after it's lunged out of a sub-Saharan pond.

The shiny front section of this clamshell also hides a small screen that displays the time and incoming calls or text messages. Pop it open and you're presented with a small colour screen and a flat but usable keypad. On the back of the Z555i there's a humble 1.3-megapixel camera, which won't inspire much more than MMS messages.

This is a simple phone that looks attractive from the front, but hides a rather mundane bunch of features underneath. Unless you're strapped for cash or have a penchant for shiny things, you're better off going with one of Sony Ericsson's higher-end models. The Z555i will be available on most networks soon -- expect a full review lickety-split. -Andrew Lim

Samsung's Guru 200 excites the users

Mumbai, May 11: Samsung's recent launch of its new entry level phone handset Guru 200 in India has excited the prospective users. The multi-utility features that the company has incorporated in the telephone handset is rarely available in handsets that are available in the market. And they simply lack in handsets with a similar price tag.

The Guru 200 is priced just Rs 3000/ and has host of features that make it hot. The best thing about the handset is its long battery time. For Indian consumers for whom electricity outages is normal it gives them 9 hours of talk time without charging.

The phone also allows the users to record FM radio for several minutes. The record can be sawed as ring tone as well. It features multimedia services such as speaker phones and MP3 ring tone facility. Added features include Java games (Cricket and Sudoku), emergency SMS, and nine hours of talk time.

The handset displays local holidays and its database enables users to communicate in a blend of Hindi and English .The Call Time Limit feature allows users to personally set a talk time limit per month, in order to put a cap on their talk time.

A Smamsung official says "Guru 200 offers a strong value proposition to consumers at the entry level mobile phone segment. True to our 'Next is what' campaign, this phone offers FM recording as the 'Next' key feature in its latest Guru series of handsets."