Vodafone is allowing subscribers to pre-register for iPhone via it’s website (or if you are an existing customer, sms iphone to 56789)

This is a good marketing ploy for the following reasons:

• During the registration process, Vodafone is collecting your phone number if you aren’t a vodafone customer.
• Even though iPhone deal is non-exclusive (i.e. even Airtel will sell), Vodafone’s early marketing gives them an edge over it’s biggest rival, i.e. Airtel.

The bad news is that 3G is a distant reality in India (read our complete coverage of Indian Telecom Industry), so many of the features would be just a eye-popping one with no utility.