iPhone 16: A Price Drop That Could Change the Game in India

With a September debut anticipated, the Apple iPhone 16 series may see a price drop in India, resulting in lower customer expenses. This price reduction is anticipated to be influenced by two major factors: decreased import taxes and increased domestic production.

Lower Import Taxes:

The Indian government has been thinking about lowering import taxes on several electronic parts, such as those found in smartphones. Apple may be able to pass on lower manufacturing costs to customers in the form of lower prices due to this.

Enhanced Domestic Production:

Apple has been aggressively growing its Indian manufacturing facilities. The corporation may save expenses related to tariffs, transportation, and other reasons by increasing iPhone production within the country. Additionally, this can result in a more aggressive pricing scheme.

iPhone 16 Pro models may be less expensive.

According to Bloomberg, Apple intends to start producing the iPhone 16 Pro in India shortly after its release worldwide. It is predicted that cost reductions will arise from this expansion of local production beyond the base models and the newly implemented decreased import taxes.

The essential customs duty (BCD) on imported mobile phones will be reduced by the Indian government from 22% to 17% in the 2024 budget, which has already affected the pricing of iPhones. Subsequently, Apple slashed pricing on the entire lineup by as much as Rs 5,900 ($71). The pricing of the latest Pro models reflects the impact of tariff savings and local manufacturing. For example, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro has dropped by Rs 5,100 ($61), from Rs 134,900 to Rs 129,800. Similarly, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max has dropped by Rs 5,900 to Rs 154,000. The base iPhone 16 devices can also cost less than they did previously. Due to recent changes in import duties, the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models may be released in India at a lower price.

The price of the iPhone 15 was lowered when Apple began manufacturing the base models in India.

For example, the price of the iPhone 15 was lowered from Rs 79,900 ($960) to Rs 79,600 ($957) when the duty was removed. Even if the locally built devices only saw a slight adjustment, this sets the stage for a possible reduced launch pricing for the iPhone 16 series. One benefit Indian consumers previously enjoyed was that prices have not significantly increased since Apple began manufacturing the base models in India, in line with pricing in the United States, even though the difference may not be significant given that Apple has been manufacturing them for several years.