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Apple Making Moves to Sell More iPhones in India

Tuesday February 26, 2013 4:47 pm PST by Jordan Golson
The 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.

[ 86 comments ]


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camnchar
77 months ago

Apple, release the low-cost iPhone & watch sales rocket!


And profit margins plunge! And investors sell! And stock price plummet!
Rating: 5 Votes
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PinoyAko
77 months ago
I am now craving for a Tika Masala and Naan bread.
Rating: 5 Votes
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macguy360
77 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"
Rating: 5 Votes
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SAIRUS
77 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...
Rating: 3 Votes
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Fatalbert
77 months ago

India is the 2nd largest market, samsung's crappy note 2 which is priced at about 700 dollars sells twice the number as iphone 5s. Reasons?


Apple doesn't dominate well in certain countries. Their PR must suck in South Korea due to their lose-lose lawsuits.

----------

People like it better?


That's hard to believe, but then again, I guess butt-ugly Priuses and Hummers are fairly popular.
Rating: 2 Votes
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AnorexicPig
77 months ago

What does chaiwala mean? :confused:


It's the person who runs a tea-stall,a cup of tea generally costs around 20 cents.They are considered low-class people.

I'd already dragged it into Wikipedia before I got to your post....

Although, you're right that many people are too lazy (or stupid) to spend a few seconds looking up an unfamiliar term, and instead will spend a few more seconds asking about it here.


yeah lol.

Someone who gets your tea for you. Aka a servant aka lower class.


NOPES-see above.Servant is 'naukar'-Hindi class going on here folks :D
Rating: 2 Votes
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btbeme
77 months ago
If Microsoft would allow its customer service department to buy iPhones, Apple's India sales would quintuple overnight.
Rating: 2 Votes
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selva
77 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.
Rating: 2 Votes
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Yelmurc
77 months ago
India is a huge market and Apple would be foolish not to pursue it.
Rating: 2 Votes
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prateesh
77 months ago
As a Indian, I can definitely confirm they have upped the efforts. Yesterday only I was watching a Primetime News (9 PM) channel and in every single ad break there was iphone 5 Ad.

India is a country of people with money want to show off even though they really don't need of smart phone or have any true understanding of its potential.

iPhone would be a big status symbol here :)
Rating: 2 Votes

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