Apple finally announces India plans for iPhone 5S & 5C; to launch on November 1

Anyone holding out for a Diwali iPhone launch is in luck - Apple has decided to launch the new iPhones on 1 November, just two days shy of Diwali this year.

The prices however, are a fair bit higher than expectations and substantially higher than what the same, unlocked devices sell for in the US. The unlocked 16GB iPhone 5S that sells for about US$ 700 (post taxes) in the US will be priced at Rs 53,500 in India (US$ 862).

The top-of-the-line 64GB version will be priced at Rs 71,500 (US$ 1153) – this device sells for about US$ 920 (post tax) in the US.

Apple also announced a price reduction for the older iPhone 4S (a phone first launched in 2011) – like with the iPhone 4 before it, the 4S will now only be available in an 8GB version, priced at Rs 31,500. The new iPhones will now compete with other flagship smartphones from Samsung, Sony, LG and Nokia.