Apple Making Moves to Sell More iPhones in India

indian flagThe Wall Street Journal reports on recent moves Apple has made to increase sales in India, one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Recently the company has launched the iTunes Store and the Apple TV there, and it was rumored that Apple Retail Stores were coming to the subcontinent as well.

Apple is sidestepping wireless carriers to seize greater control over marketing in India and offering no-interest loans to lure lower-income consumers. The company has also boosted staff in India by 30% to 170 employees in the past six months. And it is ramping up the introduction of other products, with the Apple TV video-streaming gadget expected to reach stores in coming weeks, people familiar with the matter say.

The result is that Apple shipped more than 252,000 iPhones to India in the quarter through December, more than triple the number in the previous three months, according to research firm Canalys.

India has frequently been mentioned when talking about Apple's possible development of a lower-cost iPhone, because most smartphone users in India use postpaid plans and pay for their phones up front, instead of the subsidization model that is used in the West.

The Journal quotes a number of experts saying that Apple will have to come out with a more inexpensive phone to compete with other manufacturers -- Samsung sells Android phones that start at $100, while the cheapest iPhones sell for $500 and a new iPhone 5 is close to $850.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...

Top Rated Comments

macguy360 Avatar
169 months ago
But who will Indians call for customer service?

Do you think they get mad when they get transferred to customer service in another country?

Random indian customer "Bah, I hate when I get American customer support"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PinoyAko Avatar
169 months ago
I am now craving for a Tika Masala and Naan bread.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
camnchar Avatar
169 months ago
Apple, release the low-cost iPhone & watch sales rocket!

And profit margins plunge! And investors sell! And stock price plummet!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SAIRUS Avatar
169 months ago
Apple, release the low-cost iPhone & watch sales rocket!

Also watch the image of Apple possibly releasing high class products start to tank.

With division of class in India (yes I'm Indian), I'm sure they could appeal with their current prices as a high status item.

Now if the chaiwala has an iPhone...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
selva Avatar
169 months ago
In Apple's case, you wait for 30 minutes for an American representative. Microsoft just hooks you up to India instantly. Indians better hope Apple does for them what MS does! XD

Apple customer support was wonderful until the iPhone came out. Now it's bogged down with every idiot out there asking how to open Internet Explorer.

Not my experience at all here in Canada at least. I get someone on support within two minutes, often less than one minute every time I call past couple of years.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yelmurc Avatar
169 months ago
India is a huge market and Apple would be foolish not to pursue it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)