Well well well, Apple has finally realised that Indian market is all about devices that don’t burn a hole in your pocket. In a surprising move, the Cupertino giant has slashed the price of its last 4-inch iPhone, the iPhone 5s. As per the latest price chart, the device is now retailing at an unbelievable price of Rs. 24,999, which is around half of its launch price.
The iPhone 5s was announced in India in November 2013, at a starting price of Rs. 53,500 for the 16GB variant. Its last price cut was witnessed in September this year, when it was available for Rs. 47,000. The latest price cut is officially Rs. 24,999, however, it is available for an even lesser price on e-commerce stores. One can get the iPhone 5s 16GB Space Grey variant on Amazon India for as less as Rs 21,499, and Rs 21,940 on Flipkart.
A report by TOI quotes retailers in India saying that the iPhone 5s accounts for around 50 percent of the total iPhone sales. Apple has taken the decision to slash prices in a bid to tap the mid-range segment of smartphone buyers in India. However, this does not serve as the only reason behind the move, it is believed that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sales had a slow start post launch, although the sale picked up in Diwali but it witnessed a decrease after the festive season. The iPhone 6s 16GB that was unveiled at a price of Rs 62,000, is now retailing at Rs 49,999 online, that marks a price drop of almost 20 percent.
Moreover, Apple is also targeting at increasing its India sales in the December quarter. Some of the recent reports even claimed that Apple shipped around 562,500 iPhones between the period of October 1 and November 15. Analysts are also of a view that towards the end of this quarter, the number may surpass 700,000.
