Mehul DasApril 12, 2022 16:22:24 IST
In a major step towards the Make in India campaign, Apple recently announced that the latest iPhone 13 will now be made in India. However, if you are planning to upgrade to the latest and greatest from Apple and are waiting for heavy discounts, you may have to wait longer, as there will be no vacancy for Indian customers.
Apple Premium offered by Indian customers
As of the writing of this article, the price of iPhone 13 Mini starts from Rs 69,900 whereas iPhone 13 starts from Rs 79,900. In the US, the iPhone 13 Mini starts at 699, or Rs 53,000 (converted), whereas the iPhone 13 starts at 7 799 or Rs 60,500 (converted).
Although part of the price difference is due to import taxes sent to Indian consumers, Apple imposes a small premium on its Indian customers. Nevertheless, Apple has doubled its share of the Indian mobile market from 2.4 per cent in 2020 to 4.4 per cent in 2021 and expects it to grow to 5.7 per cent in the Indian smartphone market in 2022.
No price drop in the near future
With the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini now being manufactured in India, one would expect that the price of the latest and greatest offers from Apple would be reduced. That, however, may not be the case.
First and foremost, the Indian rupee has a weakness against the US dollar.
Second, the silicon deficit that gripped the world during the epidemic saw some respite, but it is nowhere near the level that manufacturers had hoped it would be.
Third, the price of raw materials required to make electronics has risen significantly. Another contributing factor is the need to import many microprocessors and display components.
And finally, there was the catastrophe between Ukraine and Russia which threw a big spanner in global supplies.
When can Indian consumers reduce prices?
Until now, it would not be wise to expect official price reductions. Historically, Apple has never reduced the price of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 since it started making them in India.
That said, online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart may be able to offer more discounts on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini. In addition, with the launch of the iPhone 14 series later this year, the price of the 13 series is bound to drop.
Another way consumers can wait is the festive season. Apple may now redesign their “Free Apple AirPods” offer. While there will be no reduction in MRP in such cases, adding a free AirPod certainly sweetens the deal.
What about the iPhone 13 Pro?
In India, the demand for any Pro model of iPhone has dropped significantly compared to regular models. This and the fact that most Pro variants use premium content and components that cannot be sourced locally is a big reason why Apple has not created any Pro variant of its phones in India.
Made-in-India iPhone to be exported?
So far, the iPhones being made in India are only for local consumers. There are no plans to export iPhones made in India anywhere, at least not officially.
iPhone 14 – Launched in October 2022?
Although there has been no word from Apple about the iPhone 14 yet, people who have followed the Cupertino-based tech giant will make sure they are ready to launch the iPhone 14 in at least 3 variants, sometime in September, or October this year.