Made locally, but iPhone 15 dearer in India than US
Vijay C Roy
Chandigarh, September 14
When the production of iPhones was started by Foxconn in Tamil Nadu, it was expected that prices in the domestic market would come down. However, it has not happened as the newly launched iPhone 15 costs much more in India than in the US, despite being produced locally.
The base variant of iPhone 15 is priced at Rs 79,900 while iPhone 15 plus costs Rs 89,900, iPhone 15 Pro Rs 1,34,000 and iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at Rs 1,59,900.
As compared to India, the pricing of iPhone 15 in the US starts at $799 (approx. Rs 66,317) and iPhone 15 Plus $899 (approx. Rs 74,617). For the domestically produced model such as iPhone 15, the price gap is lower at around 20% while the difference for imported variants is up to 60%.
As per experts, maintaining perception of exclusivity and quality is indeed a key element of Apple’s pricing strategy.
“When iPhone 13 was launched, the base price was Rs 70,000 and similarly iPhone 14 base variant was priced at Rs 80,000. As compared to this, iPhone 15 price starts from Rs 79,999. Considering the previous launches, Apple has not dropped the prices of new models to maintain its premium pricing. Secondly, the phones are assembled here, but imported components do attract duties and some models are fully imported, which make them costlier,” said Navkendar Singh, associate VP with IDC India.
“There are numerous variables that influence the final pricing of iPhones in India. Apple actively collaborates with partners to provide discounts and trade-in options through the year ahead to offset the impact of basic customs duties and additional taxes on the pricing of imported models. The older generation iPhones are a significant driver of Apple’s growth in India,” said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CyberMedia Research.
