India might be willing to bend some laws to help Apple gain traction in the country, but when it comes to the company’s request to import and sell refurbished iPhones to the world’s second-largest mobile population, things aren’t quite so positive.
According to a new report, Apple’s application was turned down on the grounds that it might hurt local handset manufacturers.
And one of the companies behind the campaign to stop Apple? None other than decidedly non-local smartphone maker, Samsung!
Future iPhones are going to be so amazing, you probably haven’t even thought of the features Apple is going to add, Tim Cook claimed in a recent interview.
The Apple CEO appeared Monday on Mad Money in an effort to abate the company’s bleeding stock price following last week’s less-than-stellar earnings call. Cook reassured investors that the rumors of Apple’s demise have been greatly exaggerated once again.
While lackluster iPhone sales last quarter have scared off mega-investors and analysts alike, Cook promised some incredible innovation is in the pipeline. In addition to touting upcoming iPhone features, Cook’s wide-ranging conversation with Mad Money host Jim Cramer touched on everything from the Apple Watch being (inaccurately) dubbed a flop to Apple’s growing interest in India and much more.
Here are the highlights:
Despite disappointing earnings in other parts of the world, India is doing great for Apple right now — with iPhone sales up 56 percent over the past quarter, without Apple even having a brick-and-mortar retail store in the region.
Things may be about to get even better, however, as Apple’s plans to open Apple Stores in India have taken a leap forward as the country’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has recommended Apple be exempt from laws stating that foreign single-brand retailers must source at least 30 percent of their products locally.
All iPhones sold in India must feature a “panic button” from 2017, according to a new order signed into law by the country’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The law states that every phone must include a panic button and in-built global positioning system, designed to protect women.
Apple may become one of the first foreign companies granted a permit to open a retail store in India without sourcing 30 percent of its products from inside the country.
While this rule has previously proven to be a hurdle for foreign brands, in Apple’s case the Indian government appears likely to overlook it on the grounds that Apple is a “state-of-the-art” company manufacturing “cutting-edge technology.”
The 4-inch iPhone SE may be billed as Apple’s most affordable iPhone yet, but it won’t be nearly so reasonably-priced when it launches in India — one of Apple’s biggest potential markets — this Friday.
Compared with the $399 price tag it carries in the U.S. (which translates to around $430 after taxes in most states), the iPhone SE will set customers in India back 39,000 rupees ($586). For those keeping track at home, that’s a 36 percent premium compared with the U.S. price.
Apple’s plan to grow its market in India by selling imported used iPhones is running into problems.
In particular, Apple is being opposed by rival handset makers who worry that letting Apple do this will severely damage initiatives to promote local manufacturing, hurt recycling — and (last but certainly not least) damage their own businesses of selling cheap phones.
Apple is planning a major flagship retail store in India, with a design reminiscent of its Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York, according to a new report.
Just like its iPhone-building rival Foxconn, Apple manufacturer Pegatron is reportedly planning to build factories in India, taking advantage of the cheap labor opportunities in the country compared to China.
Will tomorrow’s iPhones be “designed in California, built in India?” Signs are increasingly pointing to yes.
Apple is planning to import and sell refurbished iPhones in India as a way of getting its handsets into more people’s hands.
“An application from Apple regarding import of certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India and manufacturing certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India has been received in the ministry of environment and forests,” telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.
Android has long been the best platform for smartphone buyers on a budget, and now entry to Google’s ecosystem is even more affordable.
Indian handset maker Ringing Bells just launched the new Freedom 251, an ultra affordable device that looks a lot like an iPhone, priced at 251 rupees — or about $3.67.
As the next giant untapped market shimmering on the horizon, Apple is looking to grow its brand in India — and to do so it’s taking the bold step of exiting the rapidly-growing sub-Rs 20,000 ($290) smartphone category by stopping selling its older iPhone 4s and 5c handsets.
But the reason totally makes sense.
Apple has set its sights on taking over the smartphone market in India and its planning to bring more than just retail jobs to the country in the process.
The company confirmed today that it is planning to invest $25 million in a new office complex this year in Hyderabad that will bring 4,500 jobs to the area during the construction process.
India has indicated it will bypass the usual regulations for foreign companies and grant easy approval for Apple to establish retail outlets there.
This comes as CEO Tim Cook tries to tap new global markets, especially India, a country of 1.3 billion people where it has seen small gains in iPhone sales.
Speculation surrounding a “budget” iPhone died out when Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller promised it would never happen. But with iPhone 6s demand allegedly falling and the global smartphone market becoming increasingly saturated, could a more affordable phone give Apple a security net? Could it prevent the iPhone business from stagnating in the same way the iPad business has?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we bicker like children over these questions and more!
Apple posted record sales in India during the final quarter of 2015, positive financial news for Cupertino amid forecasters predicting a rough start to the new year.
Apple shipped a record 800,000 devices to India from October through December, a record spurred by a wider distribution base, discounts, buybacks and installment plans.
With the Chinese economy slowing, Apple’s got another heavily-populated country in its sights — with Apple India filing an application to open official Apple Stores with the country’s department of industrial policy and promotion.
“We have just received Apple’s proposal. We are examining it,” said India’s DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant.
Apple has slashed the price of the iPhone 6s in India, reportedly after lower than expected sales over Diwali.
The handsets are now at least 16 percent cheaper than when they first launched two months ago — with the the basic 16GB iPhone 6s now costing between Rs 52,000 and Rs 55,000 ($785 – $830), down from the Rs 62,000 ($935) launch price. Many retailers are additionally offering other incentives to try and get customers to buy.
The iPad Pro is set to launch in India next week, amidst a massive push on Apple’s part to grow its enterprise business in the populous country — with plans for this to eventually account for 15-20 percent of Apple revenue.
Pricing for Apple’s super-sized tablet will begin at Rs 67,990 ($1,018), compared with $799 in the United States.
Apple has crossed the $1 billion sales mark for its Indian operations for the first time, according to a filing with India’s Registrar of Companies (RoC) this week.
Apple saw 44 percent increase in sales for its most recent financial year, marking an overall doubling of Indian sales in the past two years — largely due to increased demand for the iPhone.
Apple is targeting the corporate world in India in an effort to try and grow its business there, according to a new report.
With a population of 1.252 billion, it’s no secret that Tim Cook and Apple why desperately love to get a foothold in the country. This year alone, Tim Cook has met with the Indian prime minister, and come to an arrangement about official Apple Stores in India, alongside launching the Apple Watch and iPhone 6s.
However, getting into businesses in India would be another string to Apple’s bow.
The Apple Watch is continuing its international rollout by going on sale in India — shortly before the country’s Diwali festival, and just one month after the Indian debut of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
Apple’s first wearable device — which has so far shipped close to 7 million units around the world — starts at Rs 30,900 ($469) for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport, and goes up to Rs 14.2 lakh ($21,500) for the top-priced Apple Watch Edition.
Apple is slowly rolling out the Apple Watch worldwide, and the next place to receive it is set to be India — a largely-untapped market which ranks among the biggest in the world.
The Apple Watch will go on sale on November 6, according to Apple’s India website. No prices have been announced yet, but it is likely to be significantly more than the cost in the U.S.
The iPhone 6s hit shelves in India over the weekend – and on the shelves are where most of them stayed.
According to reports in that country, Apple saw lukewarm sales of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus during launch there. With the cost on the entry level 16 GB iPhone 6 at $925, many analysts say Indian consumers may be waiting for prices to drop before upgrading.
India is finally getting its own official Apple Stores, thanks to a partnership with local consumer electronics chain Croma.
The six new retail stores will be opened inside existing Croma stores in India, much like the store-in-a-store model used by Apple during the 1990s. Despite this, they will feature the familiar Apple Store look and feel, and be manned by staff trained by Apple.
