Apple stops shipments of iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s Plus in India
Apple has ceased sales of the iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6s Plus in India, a report claims cutting out most of the lower-cost models from its regional product lineup and at the same time making it more expensive for customers in the country to buy an entry-level iPhone.
To encourage iPhone sales in India, a growing market that is dominated by low-cost smartphones, Apple has sold older models of iPhone in the region for a number of years. Some models, including the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, are even produced in the country, but it seems a change has been made to Apple's retail strategy.
According to unnamed executives speaking to the Economic Times, Apple has stopped selling the iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus in the region, leaving only the iPhone 6s at the low end. Supplies for the models were halted in June, while distributors and Apple's sales team have reportedly advised to traders the new entry-level model will be the iPhone 6s once existing stock of the iPhone SE and iPhone 6 generations have been exhausted.
The change will raise the barrier of entry to the Apple ecosystem for customers. While the iPhone SE used to sell for as little as 21,000 rupees ($306), the iPhone 6s currently costs 29,500 rupees ($430.) In May, Apple marketed the iPhone 6s as "now made in India," with a price tag of 26,910 rupees ($393.)
Apple does offer other devices in the market, including other models produced in the market, such as the iPhone 7 assembled by Wistron and starting to be exported to the European market. On Thursday, it was suggested Apple was preparing to launch Indian-made versions of the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, bringing the current-generation iPhones to the locally-produced roster.
In March, it was reported Apple was looking to reestablish its position as a premium device producer in India, and it appears the new report may be part of that plan. Apple is also making changes to its retail lineup, reducing the number of smaller stores in its reseller network while also working to finally get its first Apple-owned stores in the country.
To encourage iPhone sales in India, a growing market that is dominated by low-cost smartphones, Apple has sold older models of iPhone in the region for a number of years. Some models, including the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, are even produced in the country, but it seems a change has been made to Apple's retail strategy.
According to unnamed executives speaking to the Economic Times, Apple has stopped selling the iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus in the region, leaving only the iPhone 6s at the low end. Supplies for the models were halted in June, while distributors and Apple's sales team have reportedly advised to traders the new entry-level model will be the iPhone 6s once existing stock of the iPhone SE and iPhone 6 generations have been exhausted.
The change will raise the barrier of entry to the Apple ecosystem for customers. While the iPhone SE used to sell for as little as 21,000 rupees ($306), the iPhone 6s currently costs 29,500 rupees ($430.) In May, Apple marketed the iPhone 6s as "now made in India," with a price tag of 26,910 rupees ($393.)
Apple does offer other devices in the market, including other models produced in the market, such as the iPhone 7 assembled by Wistron and starting to be exported to the European market. On Thursday, it was suggested Apple was preparing to launch Indian-made versions of the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, bringing the current-generation iPhones to the locally-produced roster.
In March, it was reported Apple was looking to reestablish its position as a premium device producer in India, and it appears the new report may be part of that plan. Apple is also making changes to its retail lineup, reducing the number of smaller stores in its reseller network while also working to finally get its first Apple-owned stores in the country.
Comments
I’m glad I replaced the battery ($35) in mine last December. No reason to upgraded for a long long time...
apple’s phone sales have fallen considerably in India recently, and this is going to make that worse. It’s almost as though Apple is blind to sales there, and what it takes to increase them.
i know there will be people who scream at me for saying the obvious, but I don’t care. India, as a number of other countries, is mostly very poor. They aren’t like China, which if it weren’t for politics both there and here, is a country that’s done a lot to increase the wealth of the country. That’s why Apple’s sales were growing so rapidly there. But india’s a different case. The government there has failed, over many decades, to understand what it needs to do to fix their bad, and increasingly worse problems.
the truth is that in order to sell a lot of phones there, you need to have, not just $300 models, but $250 and $200 models as well. Having a $150 model would help a lot. If Apple isn’t interested in that, and there’s no question that they could do it if they really wanted to, then they should just give up. The average Android phone price around the world is about $230. Android now outsells iOS by about 85% to 15%. In places like India, that ratio is even worse, much worse.
Cook should run for Indian Prime Minister, and increase the avge wealth tenfold before even trying to deploy his money mill there.
More importantly:
My bet is the production lines for the discontinued phones will be repurposed for higher end models. With the trade war/tariffs taking a bite, Apple is doing some contingency planning.
Previously, most iPhones made in India were sold in India, that’s going to change. This will likely make the Indian govt happy with higher taxes from Apple.
Basically, iPhone sales in India are less important than avoiding tariffs (coming into the US). If President Trump fires Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the trade war may go FUBAR fast, with China just waiting out Trumps time as President.
Big picture, this is a smart move by Apple.
with Apple willing to jump through all of these hoops, it can be seen that they are taking India seriously. they’ve stated, obliquely, that they want India to be a backup to the turmoil in China. That’s both in manufacturing and sales. Mostly sales.
The middle class in India is smaller than you think. It’s also poorer than the middle class in China, which is poorer than in the US. Phone sales have been contracting in India for several years. When you have very sales, which is the case for Apple, you have no profit either. It’s costing Apple a grr]eat deal to set up in India with no real payback so far.
numbers do matter to Apple, and I’m tired of people saying otherwise.
If Apple wants to sell in a country they need to treat them just as well as the U.S.
This means features/services/stores.
In India, most of the middle class would be considered as marginal poor. A $500 phone isn’t for their middle class. Maybe for the upper middle class, of which there really aren’t that many. Anything more expensive is just for the wealthy. At any rate, recent iPhone sales in India have dropped substantially.