4 customers show up. [Reuters]

Pimping an iPhone 3G – desi ishtyle
img: via Reuters

Remember when Apple launched the iPhone 3G nationwide in the US? That launch garnered more negative publicity than all the positive hype that the pre-launch mass hysteria was going to generate. [Time]

People camped out all night only to receive iPhone sets that could not be activated for hours, or even days in certain instances. But at least there was some mass hysteria.

Not so in the midnight launch in India. Indian customers did what all good desis do, sleep.

A midnight launch in the Indian capital drew a scant crowd but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the four buyers who showed up at a Vodafone store in the city’s Connaught Place commercial district.

Among those was a 14 year old high school student, Rudra Khurana, who bought the iPhone because “I can’t wait to show it off at school, it’s way better than having a PlayStation,”. The quintessential question: iPhone3G or PS3? This young tadpole is wise beyond his years.

In Mumbai, the launch was far more dinchak in nature.

There was more drama in Mumbai where the launch of the device, which combines a music and video player, cellphone and web browser, was accompanied by a shower of confetti and cheerleaders waving red pom-poms.

Just a guess, but maybe the reason they did a midnight launch was so the self-appointed moral guardians would be fast asleep.

Some customer bought multiple phones, to use as phones only.

Arya said he bought six iPhones — one for himself, the others as gifts for his friends — despite knowing they won’t perform to their potential as India is yet to support 3G services

Of course, all these festivities failed to impress the real cool dudes, the rickshaw drivers.

Observing the hubbub at the store, its entrance festooned with red balloons and a live band playing inside, an autorickshaw driver looking for passengers asked: “What’s the big deal?”

Apple, if it had not bungled its initial launch could almost be forgiven for this lackluster launch attributing it to culture shock. A tech-product launch in the US would attract the nerds and gadget bugs who would camp outside the store for 3 nights to pay, what would be 2-3 times the price of the product 6 months from now. India, on the other hand is a whole different animal. No way most desi people ruin their sweet night’s sleep to purchase an overpriced product, hype or not. On the other hand, if they offered free iPhone 3Gs for the first n customers or got Priyanka Chopra to do an item number, then we’re talking business.

Other Apple product on UD:
Indians choose between iPhones and cars
Indian boy kills girl over iPod

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