That’s a staggering number which clearly paints a picture of the dominance of Android on mobile in the country. But the less surprising part is that Apple’s share with iOS is seeing a gradual decline.
Apple has been adamant that we’ll never see a cheaper iPhone, at least in our lifetime, but their current position in countries like India — third largest mobile market in the world — puts them in a spot of bother.
Laying the Groundwork
Apple broke its negligence towards India this year, when Tim Cook, Apple CEO, made a visit to the country, mingled with celebrities and even watched an IPL game.
This was the first time that an Apple executive made his way to India on a leisure visit after a long while. The last one was when Steve Jobs himself was supposedly on a spiritual break.
Focus on India has never been on their agenda, but it is time their ignorance and arrogance is displaced by respect and the Indian market viewed as an opportunity.
We’re not here for a quarter, or two quarters or next year. We’re here for a thousand years.Tim Cook to NDTV
India is at a position where China was 10 years back.Tim Cook to NDTV
Well, Mr Cook, for you to survive that long in a challenging, price-conscious market like India, the work needs to start now.
Bring the Price Down
Apple has always prided itself for making big money on the back of higher product costs. But the company seems to have forgotten that in countries like US and UK the iPhones are sold via operator and contract billing.
This ensures that the iPhone 6S will not cost the buyer anywhere close to Rs 60,000, and instead they get it for under $200 with voice and data benefits for 2 years or so. But the reality in India is that neither a contract model works, and as numbers suggest, nor their high pricing.
The cost of a high-end Samsung phone comes close to 30K, whereas Apple sticks to its policy of not revising prices at regular intervals.
The government has seemingly rejected the proposal of selling refurbished iPhones. So, it’s now up to Apple to decide how they plan on bringing down the cost of buying the iPhone in India.
But They Won’t
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt about Apple by following them over the years is that, they’ll never cave into market pressure. The prospect of Apple making in India is still a far-fetched idea, but there are a few ways in which the company can claw its way back into the reckoning.
Nobody really knows the virtue of having the iPhone SE but still the company claims to have done itself good with the product even though it costs a whopping Rs 39,000 for Indian consumers. The 12-inch iPad Pro was also replaced with a 9.7-inch version in 2015.
Also Read:
Five Reasons Not to Buy the Apple iPhone SE for Rs 39,000 in India
These are some of the instances which have been hard to justify, and invariably end up seeming to be part of Apple corrective measures.
If a company wants to convert their billions into trillions, then India has to be their prerogative of the present. It will serve them well not to wait till future dawns and see someone else take away their share of pie.
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