Apple to sell iPhone 5 in India through specialised distributors

Apple may not sell its current flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5, in India through channels that were used for previous iPhones, such as partnerships with Aircel and Airtel. Now, a report by Wall Street Journal states that in order to expand its user base in India, Apple will start selling the iPhone 5 through specialised distribution companies.

As per the report, “Apple is looking to change the way it distributes the phone. A person who has knowledge of the plans says Apple will begin selling the iPhone through specialized distribution companies in an attempt to reach a wider audience, especially Indians who live in thousands of smaller towns.”

Redington and Ingram Micro to sell the iPhone 5

The report goes on to add that Apple has tied up with companies such as Ingram Micro Inc, which is a large US-based distributor of technologies, as well as Redington India Ltd, a local distributor with 12,000 smaller partners across the country. While Redington has confirmed that it has added the iPhone to its list of Apple products, Ingram Micro was not available for comment, nor was Apple.

The report went on to add, “Apple has used both these distributors in the past for products like the iPad, but did not do so for the iPhone as it was concerned that paying third-party distributors would eat into its profit margins on a key product. Apple’s Chief Executive Tim Cook said earlier this year that the company saw higher potential in countries other than India, largely because of the high cost of distributing products here. “We have a business there, that business is growing, but the sort of the multilayer distribution there really adds to the cost of getting products to market,” Mr. Cook told analysts in July.”

Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions

There is wide speculation that Apple will release the iPhone 5 in India by the end of this month with various reports indicating that the launch date will be October 26, 2012.

Made entirely out of aluminium and glass, the iPhone 5 weighs 112 grams, and is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is the thinnest iPhone yet at 7.6mm. Apple has chosen to debut iOS 6 with the iPhone 5. The new OS includes Apple's own Maps app, an updated version of Siri and lots more. Overall, the new iPhone has been upgraded in almost all respects.

A recent report indicated that the pre-orders for the iPhone 5 will begin soon through official Apple resellers. As of yet, the exact price of the iPhone 5 is not known but it is believed to be similar to that of the iPhone 4S when it first launched in the market.

More information on the iPhone 5 here.