Flipkart introduces exchange scheme on Moto G purchase, offers Rs. 2,000 discount

If you wish to exchange your existing phone for a Moto G, you might just be in luck.

Flipkart, the exclusive online partner of Motorola, has introduced new 'exchange your old phone' offer under which customers can get Rs. 2,000 discount on the purchase of the Moto G smartphone in exchange of select old phones. With the exchange offer, the Rs. 12,499 (8GB) and Rs. 13,999 (16GB) price tags on the Moto G get reduced to Rs. 10,499 and Rs. 11,999 respectively.

Some popular phones that can be used for the exchange offer for buying the Moto G includes theBlackBerry Curve 9320, Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 520, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Micromax Canvas 4, Micromax Canvas Doodle 2, HTC 8X, and HTC One S. The list also includes the Apple iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S. Consumers can check their old phone's eligibility on the Moto G listing on Flipkart. The online retailer also notes that consumers will be charged Rs. 50 for picking up the old phone, which would differ according to the location.

Flipkart has laid a few conditions for the 'exchange your old phone' offer for the Moto G. The old phone that you wish to exchange should be in a working condition.

In February, Motorola launched the Moto G dual-SIM phone in 8GB and 16GB storage variants at Rs. 12,499 and Rs. 13,999 respectively.

Within few weeks after the successful launch of budget smartphone Moto G (Review) in the country, the former Google-owned company unveiled the Moto X, also exclusively available via Flipkart.

After stunning Moto G success, Flipkart bags exclusive rights to sell Moto X in India

Moto X is the next Flipkart exclusive, but no Moto Maker for India

By Nikhil Subramaniam /  13 Mar 2014 , 18:30

Indian retailer Flipkart has snagged yet another exclusive deal with Motorola. The retailer tweeted saying the Moto X is coming soon, along with a map that shows India with a very obvious X in the middle. Flipkart will have exclusive rights to sell the Moto X in India, just like the Moto G.

X marks the spot

While Flipkart didn’t announce a launch date, it looks like more than just the black and white versions of the phone will be launched in India. Responding to a query about the wooden back Moto X, Flipkart said two such variants – teak and walnut – will be available.  The disappointing news is that Moto Maker tool will not be making an appearance in India. In any case, we should expect five colour options and the two wood variants at launch.

The Moto X exclusive follows the highly successful launch campaign for the Moto G, which was Motorola’s best launch in any country. With stock running out within hours of the launch, it’s clear that there’s a great demand for Motorola’s new phones. A lot of the excitement around the Moto G launch was due to the attractive pricing, but the Moto X is undoubtedly a more premium device, with a larger display, more powerful internals and a better-spec’d camera. And it also has a few software tricks up its sleeve, that are not found on the Moto G.

Internationally, the Moto X is currently retailing for just under $400, so one can expect a pricing of over Rs 25,000. While not the same as the Moto G, the Moto X does have a bunch of cool features that justify the price. Now let’s hope the developer edition with 32GB memory and the unlocked bootloader also makes it to India.

GTA V pre-order delivery 'delayed' on Flipkart

Hey!, when will I get my GTA V?
This was the reaction of one caller to Flipkart. Let's find out why.

Flipkart's customers who pre-ordered GTA V, and were expecting their copies to arrive on launch day Tuesday, September 17, will be bitterly disappointed, as the Indian online retailer has informed them by email that the games will be only shipped from Mumbai on September 16 night, and take 1-2 days to reach them, depending on their location.

GTA V is one of the most anticipated game releases of 2013, and is widely expected to be Rockstar Games' biggest cash cow yet. The game, which will initially only be released for the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, is priced at Rs. 2,999, with fans having to dish out Rs. 3,999 for the special edition. Those who pre-ordered were offered freebies to sweeten the deal - including a GTA Double-Sided Poster, Metallic V Locket and Atomic Blimp DLC.

Flipkart's email reads: "Please note that due to publisher regulations we are not permitted to start shipping before the evening of September 16th and since we are going to ship the preorders from Mumbai, you will receive the game along with the freebies that were a part of your order - GTA Double-Sided Poster, Metallic V Locket and Atomic Blimp DLC within 1-2 business days post shipping, depending on your geographical location."

The 'delay' of the pre-order GTA V copies by Flipkart has angered a lot of customers, who were hoping to play the game on release day. Many have vowed to stop using Flipkart for pre-ordering games in the future, finding visiting brick and mortar stores to be more advantageous. Some even mentioned that the news has made them cancel all of their other pre-orders from the Indian online retail site. The reactions have also been noted by BGR.in and other media outlets.

The concept of a retail copy pre-order does imply delivery that is before what regular buyers receive, and not much else. Sure, many retailers across the world go out of their way to ensure pre-order customers receive their copies on launch day, especially in the case of high-profile launches, such as GTA V.

To be fair, we can assume that in the case of the Flipkart GTA V pre-order debacle, pre-order buyers will indeed receive their copies ahead of those who order the game on launch day. Of course, those who line-up outside brick and mortar stores for midnight and regular launches, with the requisite time, effort and transportation costs that entails, will end up receiving their copies first, but usually with no freebies. To be noted also is that Flipkart on its game pre-order pages lists the items as 'forthcoming,' and doesn't highlight the precise delivery/shipping date.

Flipkart's cash on delivery option is (quite contradictorily) also extended to pre-orders, almost nullifying the whole pre-order concept of paying for the game in advance. The only disadvantage for pre-order buyers on Flipkart seems to be that they cannot read reviews of the game before making their purchase decision, something that pre-order customers the world over forego. In Flipkart's case, customers are also enticed to pre-order by free DLC and goodies bundled with the game.

India is also not a priority market for game publishers, especially for console games, with the rampant piracy in the market, and the relatively small volumes compared to the US and Europe. However, it's big enough that in most cases nowadays, games are released in the country alongside their global launches, something virtually unheard of in the past, unless one downloaded digital copies from global stores.