Apple has cut iPhone, iPad, and Mac prices in India this week following sales tax reforms.
Shoppers can now save up to 7.5 percent on the latest iOS devices, but the discounts aren’t quite as generous on Apple Watch or Macs.
India has introduced a new sales tax system, which means customers now pay a single tax, as opposed to various government taxes, on the goods they buy. There are five different tax rates, ranging from 0 to 28 percent, that are applied depending on product type.
For smartphones, the new tax rate is 12 percent, down from 13.5 percent. However, Apple claims its own price cuts are nothing to do with the tax changes, but an effort to improve its position in India, reports Chandigarh Metro.
An iPhone 7 Plus, which previous started at Rs. 72,000, now starts at Rs. 67,300 ($1,039). The regular iPhone 7, which previously started at Rs. 60,000, now starts at Rs. 56,200 ($867). iPhone SE remains the most affordable model at Rs. 26,000 ($401), down from Rs. 27,200.
The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro now starts at Rs. 50,800 ($784), while the latest 12.9-inch model has been reduced to Rs. 70,900 ($1,095). The new 9.7-inch iPad now starts at just Rs. 28,000 ($432) if you opt for the 32GB model.
The only Mac to receive a discount so far is the 21.5-inch iMac, which is now priced at Rs. 90,200 ($1,393) down from Rs. 90,900.
Apple Watch discounts are also small, with Series 1 models starting at Rs. 22,900 ($354) down from Rs. 23,900, and Series 2 models starting at Rs. 31,600 ($488) down from Rs. 32,900.
We’ve been waiting for Apple to cut iPhone prices in India — particularly for the iPhone SE — after it began manufacturing handsets locally. “Assembled in India” devices are already on sale, but there have been no significant discounts to reflect this yet.
