If you're in India and have been eyeing the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus but been deterred by the steep pricing, now is a good time to take the plunge. Why? Apple is offering substantial discounts on the smartphones.
A month after the Apple handsets hit the Indian shelves, in a bid to fillip the device's sales, the company is attempting to lure consumers by offering buyback schemes and discounts of a maximum of Rs. 34,000 (around $500) on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The information comes courtesy of the Times of India, which cites senior trade partners of the company in the country.
"This is the first time a company and its distributors are closely monitoring the buyback at the retail end to track sales, showing how desperate Apple is to increase sales in India since it did not expect such a weak launch for the new iPhones," divulged a senior executive with one of the trade partners.
Launched in Oct. 2015, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are retailing between Rs 62,000 to Rs. 92,000 (approximately $934 to $1386), depending on the model. The 16 GB unlocked variant of the iPhone 6s retails for Rs 62,000 ($934) in India, making it way more expensive than in its U.S. counterpart which costs $649.
Compared to the sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the current-gen Apple models are not enticing many buyers in India primarily due to its steep pricing. The sales of the present models are down 15 percent to 20 percent when compared to last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales. The fact that the previous generation iPhone was cheaper by Rs. 8,500 to Rs. 9,000 ($128 to $136) by comparison could be a factor.
Now, Apple along with its distributors is allegedly looking to buyback older iPhone models to push sales of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Per the report, Ingram Micro – a distributor for Apple – has already pushed out the new scheme in select Apple stores and cellphone retail chains in South India. This buyback scheme will soon come into effect nationwide.
Apple has four distributors in India and the remaining three will also follow in Ingram Micro's footsteps soon. This decision will enable Apple to meet its target of tripling iPhone sales in the region when compared to the previous year.
The Rs. 34,000 buyback offer will be for the iPhone 6, as well selected models of the top-end Samsung smartphones. Apple has reportedly created a website for its retailers where they will upload details of the handsets being exchanged against the new iPhones as part of the offer.
