It is official! India gets its very own online Apple store. Now access iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, MacBook devices, and Apple TV all of that in the Apple Store India.
But is it still affordable to Indian standards or say is it rightly priced?
While the company is offering a lot of offers on Apple Products which includes smartphone trade-in (help reduce phone cost), easy EMIs, offers for students among other schemes. Is this enough? As a consumer, you tend to look at the best offer.
The company is selling Apple products at a cost that is more or less the same as the other Indian e-commerce site. But it is not able to sell the products close to the cost at which it selling it in the United States.
For instance, Apple store India is selling an iPhone 11 Pro Max for approximately Rs 1,17, 100. Meanwhile, Apple Stores in the United States are selling the same device at around USD 1,099. That means the conversation rate of Apple products in India is USD 1 equals to Rs 100 as against USD 1 equals to around Rs 74 (currency traded at that range and keeps varying but it never reached Rs 100 for USD 1).
In USD is the cost of iPhone 11 Pro in the US market and in Rs is the price in the Indian market |
But having said that the currency difference is one way to look at costs. The other reason for this huge difference in the cost of Apple products in the US market and the Indian market is import duties and other taxes.
After Union Budget 2020, Apple hiked the price of some of its high-end iPhone models in India. This is mainly because the government raised customs duty on imported mobile phones and chargers along with a social welfare surcharge.
Meanwhile, if you look at iPhone XR and iPhone 7 which is assembled in India, the difference will not be much.
In USD is the cost of iPhone XR in the US market and in Rs is the price in the Indian market |
Meanwhile, the Indian government charges Goods and Service Tax (GST), which was recently revised from 12 percent to 18 percent. Thus, pushing the prices of Apple products upwards.
However, the only relief for the customers is that the company does not increase the cost at the end of the billing with additional taxes.
So, next time before blaming Apple for selling the premium product at such a huge price in the country, do have a look at the taxes you end up paying for an Apple product.
But for most Apple Product loyalists, the quality of this premium product is more important than cost.
So, if you are considering buying an Apple product do not forget to opt for its interesting offers for its Indian customers.
