It’s only been 2 months since the launch of the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in India, and the company has already cut down the price of the handsets by 16%. The brand is hoping the move will result in improving sales of the phones, as demand for it has dropped drastically since the festive Diwali season.
To recall, the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus launched in India back in October, with its cost starting at Rs 62000 for the basic 16GB model. The handsets were about Rs 14000 to Rs 16000 more expensive than what it was retailing for in the US and Hong Kong. The high asking rate hurt demand for the devices to a large extent.
4 major online retailers in India including Flipkart are now selling the iPhone 6S for anywhere between Rs 52000 and Rs 55000, which marks a 11% to 16% drop in charge. A high-ranking executive at a national retailer told the Economic Times that the average difference in cost for all versions of the phones between its original cost and current one is roughly 15%.
Tarun Pathak, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, asserts this is the first time the value of a flagship Apple model has been cut down within 2 months of being released. According to him, the turn of events underlines concerns about the initial cost of the units. Furthermore, he thinks the recent reduction in the rate of the iPhone 5S will give the newer phones competition.
The following are the rates for specific iPhone 6S models in India:
– iPhone 6S (16GB): Rs 48,499
– iPhone 6S (64GB): Rs 62,849
– iPhone 6S (128GB): Rs 74,940
– iPhone 6S Plus (16GB): Rs 61,999
– iPhone 6S Plus (64GB): Rs 75,499
– iPhone 6S Plus (128GB): Rs 85,999
Slashing down the cost of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus also serves to shorten the gap between the previous generation of handsets, which were around Rs 8000 to Rs 9500 cheaper. This huge difference led to many consumers not seeking an upgrade to the latest edition. This hit Apple hard, given it went from importing 320000 units in October to 120000 in November, a 62% drop.
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Lowering the cost of the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus may be the company’s way of reviving demand during the October-December quarter, which is traditionally its strongest period. It had previously stated it was looking to sell nearly 12 lakh models of the smartphones in India during this time.
