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Apple expands cheaper 8GB iPhone 5c availability to India

Avatar for Zac Hall May 23 2014 - 7:33 am PT
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After introducing the iPhone 5c last fall in 16GB and 32GB variants at launch, Apple later added a cheaper and admittedly space-constrained version in a number of non-US markets around the globe. Apple’s position on the device’s purpose was that it offers a more attractive price while still offering LTE (unlike the iPhone 4s) in markets where the faster network is well desired.

A few weeks ago, The Times of India reported that Apple was poised to introduce the 8GB variant of the iPhone 5c to iPhone buyers in India, and today The Times is reporting that Apple has indeed introduced that cheaper version of the colorful iPhone as was rumored and expected.

While the phone’s MRP is Rs 37,500, Apple is offering a cash discount of Rs 4,000. This brings down the phone’s price to Rs 33,500.

Apple is also giving a case worth Rs 2,000 with the phone. However, Apple informs that it’s a limited period offer.


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Apple to introduce 8GB iPhone 5c in India by early next month following end of iPhone 4 sales

Avatar for Zac Hall May 12 2014 - 6:40 am PT
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Apple will continue to experiment with its iPhone lineup in India after both reintroducing and re-retiring its iPhone 4 in the country this year. That’s according to a new report by The Times of India, which says Apple is poised to introduce the cheaper iPhone 5c 8GB model in India by early next month.
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Apple reportedly ends iPhone 4 sales in India after relaunching it earlier this year

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 7 2014 - 8:05 am PT
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After introducing the phone to the Indian market in January this year, The Times of India is reporting that Apple has reversed this decision, once more discontinuing the product which was originally released in June 2010.

The paper says that new supplies of the iPhone 4 have been terminated at three leading trade partners in the country. It is weird for Apple to reverse plans so soon, but it was also uncharacteristic of the company to bring back the iPhone 4 in the first place.

Apple may have decided that the iPhone 4s and 8 GB iPhone 5c fills the gap well enough that it no longer needs to keep the iPhone 4 around. Despite expanding the availability of the SKU to more countries in mid-April, however, the device is not actually offered in India just yet. It is possible that the transition is still taking place.


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Apple to open local, mobile-focused stores in India to promote entry-level products

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 11 2014 - 3:09 pm PT
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Apple is planning to change up retail in India in a big—and small—way, according to a report by The Economic Times. According to the Times, Apple plans to open a collection of small, iOS-centric stores. The stores will be setup by local distribution partners, not by first-party retail staff. While the main focus of these locations will be on mobile devices, Apple’s other offerings will also be represented to some degree in each store.

In fact, the focus of these stores will not even be Apple’s latest devices, according to the report. Instead, these local shops will focus on the less-expensive models that Apple offers, including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4s. Macs and other products in these smaller stores will also be lower-priced models. The goal of the local establishments seems to be to place Apple’s most affordable products as close as possible potential customers—a neccessary move if Apple is to continue gaining ground in the country.


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Apple reportedly planning to bring back 8 GB iPhone 4 in India to combat slow sales

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jan 13 2014 - 5:48 pm PT
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The Times of India reports that Apple is planning to re-introduce the 8 GB version of the iPhone 4 in India to combat its sluggish sales. The report states that the company hopes the even lower price of the device will help win back its share of the market, which is slipping away to competitors.

The phone would be available at a lower price than before, reportedly around ₹15,000 (about $240). Apple lost a large portion of its market share in India after phasing out the iPhone 4, which was previously one of the country’s top three phones.

In the US, Virgin Mobile has kept the venerable iPhone 4 8GB around, selling it for a measly $179 Off contract.

Delayed China Mobile iPhone launch may be due to renegotiations based on 5c vs 5s sales

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 20 2013 - 4:30 am PT
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Photo: arstechnica.net

Photo: arstechnica.net

KGI’s Mingchi Kuo has suggested in a note to investors that the mystery of the apparent delay in the iPhone launching on the world’s largest carrier, China Mobile, may be due to last-minute renegotiations with Apple on volume discounts across the two new models.

We believe weak sales of iPhone 5C may trigger a re-negotiation of the Apple-China Mobile partnership. While previously we estimated that Apple originally planned the TD-LTE version would account for 30% of total iPhone 5C shipments, our latest survey indicates that demand for the TD-LTE iPhone 5C has declined dramatically due to 5S being far more popular than 5C among China Mobile subscribers […]

We believe this would necessitate a re-negotiation of the Apple-China Mobile deal and therefore defer its finalization …


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The countries where an iPhone can cost 20 percent of the average annual income

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 4 2013 - 5:11 am PT
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Mobile Unlocked has put together an interesting interactive tool that shows contract-free iPhone prices around the world, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP. There are four countries where an iPhone sells for around 20 percent of the average annual income: Philippines (18%), Jordan (18.2%), Vietnam (19.8%) and India (22.3%).

Qatar – one of the richest countries in the world – has the lowest percentage, at less than 0.8%, while the USA comes in at just under 1.4% and the UK at 2.4%.

Cheapest in cash terms is the USA at $707, most expensive is Jordan at $1091. In the US, of course, most of the true cost of the iPhone is a disguised part of your monthly contract fee.

Apple looking to launch trade-in programs for emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 22 2013 - 1:45 pm PT
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After launching a new iPhone trade-in program through its retail stores in the U.S and UK and another initiative in India, Apple appears to be planning even more trade-in programs in emerging markets. A new job listing posted on the company’s website seeking a Reuse (Trade-In) Worldwide Program Manager is looking for someone to assist in “developing and implementing programs in emerging markets, with emphasis in APAC and ALAC, while enhancing current EMEIA and North American programs.”

That sounds a lot like Apple is planning to launch new trade-in programs in some of its emerging markets across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Caribbean (ALAC). Apple describes the trade-in programs as a “mega trend” and lists its objectives as increasing its share of the used electronics market and “reducing the flow of Apple-branded materials into unauthorized markets, which tarnish the Apple Brand.”  The job listing adds, “Scaling these programs to keep Apple on the leading edge of this emerging mega trend is a priority,” something it has already started doing in recent months with its new retail store trade-in program in the US and UK.


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Apple slightly increases prices of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in France

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Oct 17 2013 - 2:48 am PT
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iPhone 5s prices on the French Apple Online Store, yesterday and today.

First noted by iGen.FR, Apple has slightly raised the prices of the iPhone 5s and 5c in France. As shown above, the increase ranges between €10 for the 16 GB model, €12 for the 32 GB model and €18 for the 64 GB model. In terms of dollar value, when converted, these changes are equivalent to a rise of about $13 – $25.

The same price increase applies to the 5c, again dependent on capacity, going from €599 to €609 for the 16 GB model and from €699 to €711 for the 32 GB variant.


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Apple reduces iPhone margin in India in run-up to launch of 5C

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 10 2013 - 4:04 am PT
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Bloomberg reports that Apple has absorbed a 14% hit in the value of the rupee in order to keep iPhone prices steady in India, speculating that it is willing to reduce margin in order to grow market share in what is expected to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market by 2017.

Apple has refrained from following Samsung Electronics Co in raising prices. Apple is selling the iPhone and iPad to distributors such as Redington India Ltd at the same price as in 2012 even after the currency’s decline this year, Rajesh Khetarpal, head of Redington’s strategic business unit, said in an interview.

Apple is currently in 6th place in smartphone market share in India, behind Samsung, Micromax, Karbonn, Nokia Oyj and Sony. It has previously offered disguised discounts and interest-free credit deals via distributors in order to boost sales in the country.

It is thought that BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are key target markets for the iPhone 5C expected to be officially announced today.

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Disguised discount on iPhone 4 triples sales in India in less than a week

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2013 - 3:46 am PT
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Four large Apple resellers in India have reported a trebling of iPhone 4 sales in just five days after Apple introduced a trade-in scheme allowing customers to hand in their existing phone as part-payment on an iPhone 4, reports The Times of India.

Customers are offered a minimum Rs7,000 ($128) trade-in on any handset against the Rs26,500 ($486) cost of an iPhone 4. Retailers pay Rs,2000 of this in return for the right to sell the used handset, while Apple pays the Rs5,000 balance. As there appear to be no restrictions on brand, age or condition of the handset used for the trade-in, the move effectively amounts to a disguised discount, and suggests that the much-rumored low-cost iPhone is likely to prove successful.

The move appears to be a further strand in Apple’s push to expand its market share in India after last month’s news that it was trebling the number of franchisees in the country.

Apple tripling franchise stores in India, but Apple Stores still impossible

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 26 2013 - 5:53 am PT
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The Economic Times reported that Apple plans to triple the number of Apple-exclusive franchise stores in India from 65 to 200 by 2015, but the country still won’t see any official Apple Stores.

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Government regulations mean that branded stores must source 30 percent of their stock from Indian companies, something Apple’s yet unable to do. It instead sells via franchisees who operate under their own brands, though generally emulating the look and feel of official stores to some degree …
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Apple renews efforts in India with increased distribution, marketing & installment plans

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 25 2013 - 6:49 am PT
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Despite comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook last year about India remaining a lower priority than many other emerging markets, a report from Reuters today detailed how Apple is “aggressively pushing” the iPhone in India through payment plans and a new marketing campaign. Cook suggested last year that India wasn’t the biggest international focus for Apple and multi-layer distribution in the country “really adds to the cost of getting products to market.” According to Reuters, on top of an aggressive marketing campaign and payment plans, Apple also aims to increase the distribution channels Cook mentioned last year:
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Report: Apple snags Rolls Royce exec to strengthen corporate communications for EMEIA

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 20 2013 - 1:42 pm PT
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According to a report from PRWeek, Apple has strengthened its European communications team with the hiring of Rolls-Royce’s director of external comms Josh Rosenstock in a newly created executive position. The report claimed sources close to the situation said the hire was based on “Apple’s desire to grow its corporate affairs capabilities as it becomes increasingly drawn into global regulatory and political issues.” Rosenstock will reportedly join the company in the coming weeks as the Director of Corporate Comms for the Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) and report to Apple Senior Director of Corporate Comms for EMEIA Alan Hely.

One source with knowledge of the move said the ‘heavyweight’ hire was a reflection of Apple’s desire to grow its corporate affairs capabilities as it becomes increasingly drawn into global regulatory and political issues… Another senior comms source added: ‘This is an acknowledgement from Apple there’s a need for wider horsepower when it comes to links with Whitehall stakeholders. ‘As Apple becomes an institution in its own right it needs to upskill in this area.’… It is thought Rosenstock will report to Alan Hely, senior director, corporate comms, EMEIA, Apple Europe.

Apple and Rolls-Royce declined to comment on the report.

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Apple launches Apple TV in India for Rs 8,295 ($150)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 19 2013 - 6:51 am PT
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Screen Shot 2013-02-19 at 9.44.29 AMAfter officially bringing iTunes music and movies to India alongside a huge international rollout in December, Apple appears to have now launched Apple TV in the country. The Apple TV product page on Apple’s India website was first spotted by BGR India, but Apple has yet to issue an official press release announcing the product launch. The product page doesn’t include a “buy” button, and some reports claim stock has not yet made it to Apple resellers in the country. BGR first posted a screenshot of Apple’s site showing an Rs 7,900 price tag, but Apple’s website now shows a price of Rs 8295 (as pictured to the right). That’s roughly $150 USD and slightly higher than first rumored. As pictured above, the product page also highlights a number of Bollywood films and other local content in addition to The Wall Street Journal, YouTube, Vimeo, and MLB.TV.

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Analyst says $300 price point is sweet spot for unsubsidized iPhone mini

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 11 2013 - 7:44 am PT
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Topeka Capital analyst Brian White issued a report to clients today (via Forbes) to provide what he thinks Apple has in store for the much-rumored low-cost iPhone. According to White, Apple will introduce the lower-priced iPhone as early as June. This is of course something we heard before from previous reports, but White also predicted pricing and a possible name for the device…

Some new information that White added: He said the device will be called the “iPhone mini” or “iPhone Air” and sell for an unsubsidized price of $250 to $300.

“A $250-$300 price range would also be competitive with China-based Xiaomi that offers a high-end phone experience at a mid-range price of ~$320 in China,” he writes. “We believe a $250-to-$300 price point will allow Apple to significantly expand its reach in the smartphone market and better address developing markets such as China, while opening up more opportunities in Brazil, Russia, India and elsewhere.”

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Apple drops to 6th in Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics on lack of transparency

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 19 2012 - 9:14 am PT
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Apple is down slightly in the recently published 18th annual edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Green Electronics. Apple, which came in at No. 6, slipped down due to “lack of transparency on GHG emission reporting, clean energy advocacy, further information on its management of toxic chemicals, and details on post-consumer recycled plastic use.”

Apple receives half marks in Sustainable Operations. Apple does not score high on the e-waste criteria, losing points for lacking a robust take-back programme in India. However it continues to score points for its global take-back programme, reporting that 2010 global recycling exceeded its 70% goal (as a percentage of sales 7 years ago), a level that it is confident it will maintain through 2015. Together with HP, Apple is a top scorer for policies and practices regarding conflict minerals, but fails in developing a paper procurement policy banning suppliers involved in deforestation and illegal logging.

You can check out the full entry on Apple from the Greenpeace here.

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1B+ Indians gain access to iPhone 5 on Oct. 26

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Oct 9 2012 - 6:46 am PT
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[tweet https://twitter.com/scepticgeek/status/255661717575593984]

After rolling out the device to 22 more countries last month, BGR.in reported today that multiple sources confirmed Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 5 in India on Oct. 26:

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 5 in India on the last Friday of this month, which happens to be October 26.  As we had exclusively reported earlier, Apple will be distributing the iPhone 5 in India on its own rather than relying on its carrier partners.

Apple confirmed last month in a press release announcing sales of 5 million units for the iPhone 5’s opening weekend that it still plans to roll out the device to more than 100 countries by the end of 2012. BGR.in previously reported that Apple will handle sales of the iPhone 5 in India this year, with carrier partners Aircel, Airtel and others offering nano SIMs and special tariff plans for the device.

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Former Apple employee discusses the App Store review process

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 4 2012 - 8:23 am PT
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There are many examples of flaws in Apple’s App Store review process. We know Apple is quick to reject apps that mimic the core functionality of iOS, such as Voice Answer, Find My Facebook Friends, or Airfoil, but those developers all made tweaks to their apps and were later accepted into the App Store. Perhaps a bigger problem is apps sneaking their way into the store as offensive or stolen content. We came across an example of each with two apps recently accepted into the App Store: Bulimia Duck (pictured above), which is a Yelp-like restaurant finder with an obviously offensive name, and Dragon Ball Z Jump, which is a hybrid of stolen IPs including Dragon Ball Z and popular iOS title Doodle Jump. These are just two examples of the type of apps making their way into the App Store every week.

Today, we get a bit of insight into what goes on behind the scenes during Apple’s review process. A former senior engineer at Apple, Mike Lee, talked to Business Insider about the app review team:

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New iPad launches in 9 more countries today

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 26 2012 - 9:31 pm PT
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Earlier this month Apple launched the new iPad in South Korea and 11 other countries, and today the company continues its international launch of the device with an additional nine countries. At Apple’s Q2 2012 earnings call this week, the company reported iPad sales of 11.8 million for the quarter and $6.6 billion in revenue from iPad and accessories. It also reported tremendous growth for iPhone in China, which is one country that is not included in today’s international rollout:

Beginning on Friday, April 27, the new iPad will be available in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand.

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New iPad launches in 12 more countries this Friday, 9 more on April 27

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 16 2012 - 5:52 am PT
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Apple just published a press release that confirms the new iPad will launch in 12 additional countries Friday, April 20. Along with the 12 countries listed below, Apple confirmed an April 27 international launch date for nine more countries:

In addition to South Korea, the new iPad also will be available beginning on Friday, April 20 in Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela. Beginning on Friday, April 27, the new iPad will be available in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand.

Go past the break for the full press release.

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Apple CIO visited India in January to ‘quadruple’ global outsource spending on internal software

Avatar for Élyse Betters Feb 13 2012 - 11:12 am PT
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Apple’s Chief Information Officer Niall O’Connor visited Bangalore in January, according to The Economic Times, and the senior officials at technology firms Infosys and Wipro made sure he received the full-treatment upon landing in India.

Apple is supposedly looking to “quadruple the amount it spends in India, making it all the more covetous for Infosys and Wipro.” The CIO will decide which Indian companies get software outsourcing orders and maintenance work worth about $100 million USD (490 crore), which is roughly 20 percent of the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company’s total global outsourcing spending.

O’Connor started with Apple in 1991 and took the reigns as CIO in 1997. Two of his primary achievements include the global deployment of SAP software and the development of a full-suite of retail systems for Apple…


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Too little, too late: Google launches Orkut for iPhone

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Jan 18 2012 - 12:02 am PT
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Orkut, a Google-owned social network, has had little luck challenging MySpace, hi5, Tagged or Facebook —the undisputed social networking leader (some people even liken Orkut to a poor man’s Facebook). Nevertheless, Orkut is still popular in India and Brazil, where more than 80 percent of its 66 million active users come from, as of October 2011. Today, the search company released a native Orkut client for iPhone. It is available free of charge on the App Store and comes with the usual assortment of features, ranging from updating your status and checking your scraps and messages to browsing your friends’ profiles and uploading photographs. It is interesting that Google chose to release the app just as Facebook has finally managed to beat Orkut in Brazil, per latest comScore metrics.


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