Washington, July 11, 2008 (ANI)

 

From early hours of the morning, Indian techies and Non Resident Indians have started lining up outside AT&T and Apple shops to buy the new 3G iPhone. This new generation phone, if one can call it that, promises faster Web browsing experience. At least faster than the original iPhone launched in June 2007.

 

Ramesh Kundapura came in at dawn to the AT&T store in Rockville Maryland to pick up his phone. He had already paid in advance last week a princely sum of 300 dollars because he is an existing AT&T customer. His friend Varun Narain had to pay 500 dollars as he isnt an AT&T customer. They will have to pay higher monthly fees for talking, checking e-mail, surfing the web and even for their text messages. The monthly subscription fee has also been hiked by $10

 

But Ramesh and Varun are fine about paying more for a device whose earlier version really never became a hit last year either. The reason - both are techies and this is a phone for techies. It is certainly not meant for the faint hearted. Not something you can punch and call while one hand on the steering wheel or a feeding bottle. Understandably the demographics of people standing in the lines said it all. They were young, very young.

 

The phone pretty much looks the same as the 2G versions so much so that CEO Jobs had said that it is thinner "at the edges". The phone is lighter only by a few milligrams and the size and resolution are also similar. There is a single Home button below the screen and the black plastic back screen isn't there anymore. It’s silver now.

 

So is it worth the huge money that has to be shelled out in these difficult times? "Yes it is" say those standing in line sipping their $5 lattes. Ramesh says that basically people buy phones like this to brag about being the first to adopt new technology. It gives that wee bit edge in the chrome and glass buildings that these techies spent most of their days and almost all nights.