AfterDawn: Tech news

iPhone sales grow exponentially in India after aggressive pricing

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 01 Jun 2013 5:51 User comments (7)

iPhone sales grow exponentially in India after aggressive pricing According to investment bank Credit Suisse, iPhone sales have jumped over 500 percent in India following the institution of installment payment plans in the nation.
Apple is now selling 400,000 handsets per month there, compared to 80,000 before the new pricing schemes. Besides the monthly installment plans, the company also implemented a discount program.

This is according to analyst Sunil Tirumalai, who added "the 4-9% implicit discount coupled with the option of easy EMIs (equal monthly installment) spread over 6-12 months became popular. Within a few months, our discussions with handset retailers indicated that iPhone sales went up 3-5x, forcing companies to respond."

The EMIs allow would-be buyers to put a down payment on an iPhone 4 or 4S and then pay the rest over 6 to 12 months, interest free.



Last month, the company added an 18 percent cash discount to the iPhone 4, almost erasing the entire down payment and certainly making the device affordable to first time smartphone buyers.

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7 user comments

11.6.2013 20:02

They are sick of android there . Like we are sick of ios . Kinda funny

22.6.2013 01:39

They think they are sick of Android...what they are actually sick of is cheap, tiny monotouch displays with slow processors, almost no ram, and terrible battery life...or what you would expect for under $50USD with no contract.

It just shows how much alike all the people of the world are...when Americans experience $100 android phones they go to $600 iPhones and say iOS is far better than android because the experience of a $600 phone is better than that of a $100 phone...why does it not make me feel good to see that all cultures foster the same kind of ignorance?

32.6.2013 02:13

oh well, if someone doesn't mind getting an outdated product at a low price, then...iphone 5 in india is still more costly than newer and way better GS4.

42.6.2013 05:00

A whole new flock of iSheep!

Way to get rid of (dodgy) old stock Apple.


54.6.2013 06:03

Originally posted by KillerBug:


It just shows how much alike all the people of the world are...when Americans experience $100 android phones they go to $600 iPhones and say iOS is far better than android because the experience of a $600 phone is better than that of a $100 phone...why does it not make me feel good to see that all cultures foster the same kind of ignorance?
Very true KB.
Apple didn't get where they are to day by underestimating the idiotic 'snob value' & 'comfort' some very silly people feel when presented with a high price tag.


69.6.2013 02:31

Originally posted by buddyleem:
They are sick of android there . Like we are sick of ios . Kinda funny
They are not sick of Android. The cash back scheme is copy cat action by apple of what Samsung did. Apple started the price war - if one could call that - by giving 6 month interest free EMI to boost sales. About a couple of months back Samsung started giving 15% cash back + 12 month interest free EMI. If one could negotiate the actual swiping price with the retailer it was added benefit. I bought mine for nett total cost of Rs 17,000/- spread over 12 months which amounted to around 24 % off the suggested price. At the time one could see people lined up to pay for their phones just like one would see people lined up at a grocery store checkout counter on a busy Friday evening. Samsung probably sold by the jillions !

So Apple had no recourse but to follow suit with an even better deal. When one talks about bragging rights it is even more prevalent in India. One of my "moneyed" relatives (just the couple - only daughter settled in Europe) bought one and he can't even send a simple text message! Can't even add a new caller into his phone book. Believe me that I know at least 3-4 such people! They only spend money on things that can be seen and noticed. Won't shell out $35/- for a really good and branded Digital bathroom scale but opt for a dodgy spring loaded one for $ 25/- but not think twice before shelling out $ 1,000/- per LED TVs for 4 bedrooms as that would be seen by all visitors, especially from the US but may not even be switched on 10 times in a year. Talk about idiots!!!

79.6.2013 21:23

Thanks for the local perspective Pmshar.

Some people have more dollars than sense hey?

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