New Delhi:
Apple enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on the latest line-up of iPhones—iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max—priced Rs 64,900 onwards from September 27. The Cupertino-based tech giant has also revised prices of its older generation iPhone models in India with the iPhone 7 (32GB variant) now available at Rs 29,900.
"iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are the most powerful and advanced smartphones we have ever made. They are packed with sophisticated technology that pros can count on to get their work done, and for anyone who wants the best device made, even if they are not a pro," Apple Senior Vice-President (Worldwide Marketing) Phil Schiller had said.
iPhone 11 -- the base model—will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB variants priced at Rs 64,900 onwards. iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB variants starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 1,09,900, respectively.
The iPhone 11 Pro introduces a triple-camera system with ultrawide, wide and telephoto cameras, deeply integrated into its iOS (operating system). The iOS 13 will be available on September 19 as a free software update for iPhone 6s and later versions.
After the revision of the prices of older generation phones, the iPhone 7 (32GB variant) at Rs 29,900 is probably the most affordable device available in the country from the premium smartphone maker’s stable. There may be older version phones available with certain retailers.
According to Apple India’s website, the iPhone 8 (64GB) is now retailing at Rs 39,900 (from Rs 59,900 earlier), while iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone XR (64GB) are available for Rs 49,900. The iPhone XS (64GB) at Rs 89,900, while the 256GB variant will retail for Rs 1,03,900.
India is key market for phone makers globally. Smartphone shipment in India registered a healthy 9.9 per cent year-on-year growth at 36.9 million units in the June 2019 quarter with premium category growing at an even faster pace. Apple competes in the premium category with players such as Samsung and OnePlus.
Recently, Apple had said the Indian market “bounced back” in the June quarter as the company logged strong double-digit growth in the country. Apple, which announced its third-quarter numbers in July, clocked 1 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue at USD 53.8 billion for the quarter ended June. International sales accounted for 59 per cent of the quarter’s topline. The company, however, does not give out country-specific numbers.
The company follows October-September fiscal year. The firm has also stated that it is keen on offering online and in-store experiences to Indian users at par with its global standards and aims to open its maiden retail store in India. Apart from iPhones, Apple has also introduced the new seventh-generation iPad that has more screen area and support for the full-sized Smart Keyboard to its popular and affordable iPad stable. In India, the new iPad will be available at a starting price of Rs 29,900.
It has also launched Series 5 of the Apple Watch, debuting an “Always-On” retina display that “never sleeps, so it’s easy to see the time and other important information, without raising or tapping the display”. The Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS version) starts at Rs 40,900 and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS plus Cellular models) starts at Rs 49,900.
The third generation Apple Watch, with built-in GPS, optical heart rate sensor and water resistance, will start at a new lower price of Rs 20,900 and at Rs 29,900 for the GPS and cellular versions.
Besides, Apple also announced the 'Apple TV+'—an all-original video subscription service—that will launch on November 1 in over 100 countries and regions, including India. The service—which will compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos—will offer a full line-up of original shows, movies and documentaries, including ‘Servant’, a thriller from Indian-American filmmaker M Night Shyamalan.
Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app for Rs 99 per month with a seven-day free trial starting November 1 on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Apple TV (3rd generation), iPod touch and Mac. It will also be available on the Apple TV app on select 2018, 2019 and newer Samsung smart TVs, and on Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future.
