Apple debuts new iPhone discounts, subsidies to gain ground in India
Apple is continually trying new methods to get its products into the hands of Indian consumers, and the Cupertino company recently rolled out a range of new offers to attract iPhone buyers in the world's second-most populous country.
Apple has begun offering trade-in rebates for Indian students bringing in their old smartphones to upgrade to an iPhone. Students will get 7,777 rupees ($144) off the cost of an iPhone, while non-students will get a 7,000 rupee ($130) discount, according to ZDNet.
Indian consumers can also take advantage of an up to 6,000 rupee ($111) refund for American Express customers purchasing an iPhone 4, 4S, or 5 before June 10. The deal requires that the AmEx card be used to purchase the handset on one of Apple's installment plans in the country.
Under the plan, a customer purchasing a 16GB iPhone 5 would receive a $70 rebate, provided that the plan has six monthly installments of 2,374 rupees ($43), plus a 9,990 rupee ($181.50) down 3payment.
Developing markets such as India have proved something of a problem for Apple, which typically prices its products in the premium range. As the company has done in China, Apple rolled out installment plans for Indian consumers, and has seen some measures of success.
Currently engaged in a price war with rival Samsung in the country, Apple is said to be planning to triple its retail operations in-country. The iPhone maker doesn't maintain any of its own retail stores in India, but it will have more than 200 reseller locations in the country by 2015.
The iPhone has taken second place in Indian market share due to Apple's efforts. Apple devices took roughly 15.6 percent of smartphone revenue in India. That figure, though, was far behind Samsung's total of 38.8 percent share.
Apple has begun offering trade-in rebates for Indian students bringing in their old smartphones to upgrade to an iPhone. Students will get 7,777 rupees ($144) off the cost of an iPhone, while non-students will get a 7,000 rupee ($130) discount, according to ZDNet.
Indian consumers can also take advantage of an up to 6,000 rupee ($111) refund for American Express customers purchasing an iPhone 4, 4S, or 5 before June 10. The deal requires that the AmEx card be used to purchase the handset on one of Apple's installment plans in the country.
Under the plan, a customer purchasing a 16GB iPhone 5 would receive a $70 rebate, provided that the plan has six monthly installments of 2,374 rupees ($43), plus a 9,990 rupee ($181.50) down 3payment.
Developing markets such as India have proved something of a problem for Apple, which typically prices its products in the premium range. As the company has done in China, Apple rolled out installment plans for Indian consumers, and has seen some measures of success.
Currently engaged in a price war with rival Samsung in the country, Apple is said to be planning to triple its retail operations in-country. The iPhone maker doesn't maintain any of its own retail stores in India, but it will have more than 200 reseller locations in the country by 2015.
The iPhone has taken second place in Indian market share due to Apple's efforts. Apple devices took roughly 15.6 percent of smartphone revenue in India. That figure, though, was far behind Samsung's total of 38.8 percent share.
Comments
we didn't have time to run a spell-checker the first time around, but we do have time to read the comments and fix it later.
Apple is testing out price elasticity.
Who is "them"?
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Who is "them"?
Beavers.
I'd rather see a left-handed Galaxy 4 -- that would be really well received
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Who is "them"?
Oops. Awkward.
The only way to wrestle China Mobile when they start with the "you need us in order to grow"... Own india.
They must stop these discounts or they might cannilbalize the cheap phone
I like big brown beavers like Wynona has.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Who is "them"?
Beavers.
Are you trying to be funny or offensive?
My Canadian very successful mobile carrier has proposed a cash takeover of one of the newer lower than top 3 phone carriers, which has simply been piling up debt.
The failed carrier refused to carry the iPhone, that killed them!
I doubt that the price mentioned above is for iphone 4 and not 5. If all calculations are summed up 16 GB iphone's cost comes around only 440 USD (roughly 24000 to 25000 INR). Pls check.
How is this move indicative of a cheaper iPhone? On the contrary, I think hardly any of those people would replace the phones they just recently bought with a new low-budget iPhone.
Exactly what I was thinking. Can't make head or tail of it either.
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Are you trying to be funny or offensive?
I don't know many women who'd want to stick wood inside them (men, for that matter), and since beavers have a penchant for that building material…
OH! I just got the… "wood" is a double… I see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlituna
But I thought Apple was making a cheap phone for them because there's no way the 'real' iPhone will ever sell there.
It doesn't, really, so Apple's only choice is to offer a cheaper phone.
They can either build a special model, or discount the current prices through promotions like this one.
Quote:
They must stop these discounts or they might cannilbalize the cheap phone
I lol'd. Best line of the day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdkennedy1
Build them a wooden iPhone. They will snap it up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Beavers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I don't know many women who'd want to stick wood inside them (men, for that matter), and since beavers have a penchant for that building material…
OH! I just got the… "wood" is a double… I see.
I know why I do not come to this forum regularly anymore, with these types of comments and cheap shots. Maybe Indians are smart enough not to accept the inflated prices of all high end smartphones from various companies that is easily accepted in the 'other' countries.