Abstract:
Just a few hours after Apple’s autumn new product launch conference ended, it raised the price of older iPhones on the market. This counter-operation breaks Apple's practice - in previous years, old models will see price cuts after new models are launched, and this price adjustment is also Apple's highest increase in various markets around the world this year.
This time Apple released its first foldable screen iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro series. After the global pricing of the new models was announced, the huge price difference between India and the United States once again aroused heated public opinion.
First, let’s compare the price increases of the two Pro models: iPhone 18 Pro has increased from US$1,099 to US$1,199 for the previous generation in the United States, an increase of about 9%;
The price in the Indian market soared from 134,900 rupees to 164,900 rupees, an increase of more than 22%, more than twice the increase in the United States.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is in a similar situation: the US price has increased from US$1,199 to US$1,299, an increase of only 8%; the Indian price has increased from 149,900 rupees to 179,900 rupees, an increase of 20%.
Converted based on the exchange rate of 95 rupees to 1 US dollar, the premium gap will be more intuitive. The iPhone 18 Pro is priced at a discount of approximately 113,905 rupees in the United States, and the actual price in India is 164,900 rupees, a premium of up to 45%; the iPhone 18 Pro Max also has a premium of 46%.
The biggest price difference is the new foldable iPhone Duo: the 256GB version starts at US$1,999 in the United States, equivalent to 189,905 rupees, while the Indian price directly reaches 299,900 rupees, a premium of 57%.
It is worth mentioning that India is not only one of Apple’s fastest-growing overseas markets, but also a core production base.
Currently, a large proportion of the world's iPhones are assembled locally in India. Foxconn and Tata's production line capacity continues to expand. The industry predicts that a quarter of the world's iPhones will be manufactured in India this year.
There are no additional import tariffs in the Indian smartphone industry, and localized production continues to advance. In theory, it can compress terminal selling prices and narrow international price differences.
But the reality is completely opposite. Local manufacturing does not bring about price concessions, and the Indian market pricing is significantly higher than that of the United States.
This price increase triggered collective dissatisfaction among Indian netizens, and a large number of netizens complained on social platforms. Many netizens commented bluntly that the excessive pricing has completely reduced the iPhone to a luxury product in India.
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