Why iPhones are so expensive in India again
The price of Apple iPhones in India has seen a significant increase, far outpacing the price hikes seen in the United States. This shift marks a change from previous years where local manufacturing helped stabilize costs for Indian consumers.
Why it matters
The rising cost of premium technology in emerging markets like India highlights the impact of global economic factors and tax policies on consumer accessibility.
The best time to buy a new iPhone was yesterday. That's been the going wisdom for years, and today it's just a statement of fact.Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, lands in India at Rs 2,99,900. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900. Neither number is a shock. New phones get new prices, and we'd been told for months that this year's would sting.The older iPhones going up wasn't a surprise either. That was coming the moment Tim Cook earlier this year said it was. The iPhone 17 launched last year at Rs 82,900 and it's Rs 99,900 now. The Air was Rs 1,19,900 and it's Rs 1,49,900. Nothing about either phone changed overnight except the price.What nobody had priced in was how much of that increase would land here. Older iPhones in the US went up by a flat $100.
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