I bought an iPod Touch on my recent visit to the US — only for trying out the AppStore. I could have re-hacked my existing iPhone but there’s always a risk with the process going wrong and me ending up with a brick. Or, I could have bought the Rs 31,000 iPhone 3G in India. I figured just buying a new iPod Touch at $230 (Rs 10,000) was a cheaper and safer option.
It is an absolute wonder — I am amazed that no one else thought that up before. (Of course, one can keep saying that about Apple.) I spent the first 2 hours after my return to Mumbai going through the AppStore and downloading various free (and a couple paid) apps. It is amazing the variety of applications that have been created. This is what the mobile operators need to realise — open up, and see the creativity that you can unleash. And all this will drive more usage – and perhaps, more customer loyalty. This is the central theme behind the mobile computing operator that needs to be created in emerging markets like India.
