Explained: Apple Starts Manufacturing iPhone 13 In India, But No Respite For Indian Consumers- Technology News, Firstpost

Mehul DasApr 12, 2022 16:22:24 IST

In a major step towards the Make In India campaign, Apple recently announced that the latest iPhone 13 will now be made in India. However, if you were planning to upgrade to the latest and greatest from Apple, and were waiting for heavy discounts, you may have to wait longer, for there won’t be any respite for Indian Consumers.

The Apple Premium That Indian Consumers Pay
As of writing this article, the iPhone 13 Mini starts at Rs 69,900, whereas the iPhone 13, starts at Rs 79,900. In the United States, the iPhone 13 Mini starts at $699, or Rs 53,000 (converted), whereas the iPhone 13 starts at 799 or Rs 60,500 (converted). 

While a portion of the differences in price is due to the import taxes that are passed on to the Indian Consumers, there is a slight premium that Apple levies on its Indian consumers. Despite this, Apple has doubled its share of the Indian mobile market from 2.4 per cent share in 2020 to 4.4 per cent in 2021, and it expects to grow to 5.7 per cent of the Indian smartphone market in 2022.

No Price Drop In The Foreseeable Future
With the iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Mini now being produced in India, one might expect that the latest and greatest offerings from Apple will see a price drop. That, however, might not be the case. 

First and foremost, there is the weakening of the Indian Rupee, when compared to the American Dollar. 

Second, the silicon shortages that had gripped the world during the pandemic have seen some respite, but it is nowhere near the level where manufacturers had hoped it would be. 

Third, there has been a significant increase in the cost of raw materials that are needed to manufacture electronics. The fact that a number of microprocessors and elements of the display need to be imported is another contributing factor.

And finally, there is the fiasco between Ukraine and Russia that has thrown a major spanner into global logistics.

When Can Indian Consumers See A Price Drop?
As of now, expecting an official price drop wouldn’t be wise. If history is anything to go by, Apple never reduced the price of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 after it started to make them in India.  

With that being said, online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart may be able to provide more discounts on the iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Mini. Furthermore, with the launch of the iPhone 14 series lined up for later this year, the prices of the 13 series are bound to drop. 

Another avenue that consumers can wait for, is the festive season. Apple may revamp their “Free Apple AirPods” offer around this time. Although there won’t be a reduction in MRP in such a case, the addition of a free AirPod surely sweetens the deal.

What About The iPhone 13 Pro?
In India, the demand for any of the Pro models of the iPhone has been significantly lower when compared to the regular models. That, and the fact that most Pro variants use premium materials and components that cannot be sourced locally, is a major factor behind why Apple has never made the Pro variant of any of its phones in India.

Will Made-In-India iPhones Be Exported?
As of now, the iPhones that are being made in India are only meant to cater to local customers. There are no plans to export these made in India iPhones anywhere, not officially at least.

iPhone 14 – Launch In October 2022?
Although there has been no word from Apple about the iPhone 14 as of yet, people who have followed the Cupertino based tech giant will assure that they are all set to launch the iPhone 14 in at least 3 variants, sometime in the month of September, or October this year.