Apple's iPhone 3G is all set to rock the Indian market by the end of August or early September. The phone will be available through Vodafone and Airtel and only the 8GB model will be launched initially.

According to an anonymous source from Airtel, the iPhone 3G will carry almost the same softwares that are available in U.S. market, with some features customised to suit Indian tarrifs. Also the softwares will be available from App store with revised prices for the Indian consumers.

Initially, the 8GB model will be launched in India at an expected price between Rs. 11,500 and Rs. 12,000. The price does not include the data plan costs and import duty.

Most important of all, the 3G availability date has not yet been announced. 3G is a key feature of the iPhone. However, GPS will be present in the Indian version of the phone.

Airtel is the official carrier of iPhone 3G in India, but Vodafone has the 15 day launch advantage due to its global tie-ups. Still Airtel feels that Vodafone hasn't been able to create the same impact on the prospective iPhone buyers, as Airtel has, with its aggressive marketing.

Both Vodafone and Airtel are allowing pre-orders, so it's quite possible that the number of orders will easily surpass the quantity available.