Following Apple’s decision to almost halve the price of the iPhone 5s in India, the Times of India states that the company has followed this by a more modest price-cut for the iPhone 6s/Plus. The move was reportedly made in response to a sales slump.
Apple cut prices of its latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus […] just two months after their launch in India to boost flagging sales in what is historically its most crucial quarter as demand for the flagship devices nosedived from a Diwali high […]
The average difference in prices of all iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices between launch time and now is about 15 per cent …
The report states that Apple was hoping for its best ever quarter after a strong start to sales in October, but there was a sharper-than-expected drop the following month.
Apple imported almost 320,000 of the latest iPhones in October in India, the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market, sparking hopes of its best ever quarter. Shipments have slumped since then and the latest data suggests that imports of the new models fell 62 per cent to 120,000 in November.
While India is a far smaller market for Apple than China, it is an important one as the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market. Locals have had to pay high prices for iPhones as the country applies high import taxes to foreign products. Samsung has overcome this by opening local factories, and it’s believed Apple may follow suit.
Foxconn plans to build 10-12 factories in India by 2020, and although it’s not known whether production would include iPhones, Tim Cook discussed the possibility of local manufacturing with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September.
Lack of local manufacturing also prevents Apple opening its own retail stores in India, though discussions have been held between Apple and the Indian government about the possibility of relaxing these laws.
Photo: Tech2
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“The latest data suggests”…what data would that be?
Also, the phrase should read “the data (plural) suggest.”
What sales slump? Just last month all Apple centric websites were reporting blow out sales of iphone in India, as indians go head over heels crazy about iphone!
I asked before, in the 5s article, and I can’t BELIEVE there are no Indian readers at 9to5, but what storage size is Apple selling in India? They had taken some big lumps for pushing 8GB iPhone 4s’s; is Apple still trying to push sub-standard product on Indian consumers? Or are they selling US-level product at a discount? (The latter would indicated to me that Apple NEEDS a global 6c model. Not a CHEAP phone, not an outdated phone, but a well-built yet perhaps less-costly-to-construct phone. That’s where Apple’s engineering GENIUS should be delivering!)
Who told you there are no Indian readers at 9to5mac? iPhone 4s doesn’t even exist.
You underestimate India, 8GB version of iPhone 4s, really? Oh common, Barack Obama, came to Mumbai asking for loans and investment from Indian Entrepreneurs to create jobs in America.Don’t make people laugh.
Same model as US-level
How did you add the twitter handle. I have been unable to do eve after connecting to twitter.
Most indians are still relieving themselves in streets and fields, so as a premium anything market it has a long way to go. There is huge disparity if course, there are a few wealthy ones, but india is bargain basement territory where apple cannot do well it would be better to pull out rather than cheapen the brand.
Another troubled market is russia, where again a handful of corrupt govt cronies do OK but incredibly the average wealth of a russian is far lower than the average wealth of an east indian. Imagine being poorer than some of the poorest on the planet… Yet still pretending by calling yourself super power.
I guess why in both countries you see why there’s a mass exodus of souls and no influx. There’s a message there for apple. No one will buy premium anything if they have no money.
Why you live in India? Explaining as if. They don’t have a Apple store officially in India and still 1 Billion sales in 12 months. Who do you call this country poor, theres corruption, yes but pls, these kind of statements. People are not dumb, they save their money to buy Gold and future investments like empty plot of lands rather than fill their materialistic ego and still u r getting substantial sales. America asks about jobs, we create business.
“Locals have had to pay high prices for iPhones as the country applies high import taxes to foreign products.”
This statement is misled. Max import charges would be @28% whilst mobile phones in general pay @16%. On the other hand, in Brazil, there is a standard 60% import duty levied. The consumer price of Apple iPhones in Brazil are the most expensive in the world. Do we hear anything? No.