Of late, you might have seen several news and blogs saying that iPhone 4 would be coming to India soon. However, let me break the news to you. Apple iPhone 4 might take a few more weeks or months to land on Indian shores. How do I know it is beyond what this post is about.
If you might ask why, I will just elaborate by saying that they don’t have a lucrative business in India to start selling their devices. With a high price range of about INR 35,000 to INR 40,000, the device is out of bounds for several users. Even when iPhone first launched in India, there were hardly 1000-4000 buyers, that in itself is deterrent to the company. Most of the iPhone and iPod Touch users in India have bought their devices through the grey channel and from out of the country.
If Apple does sell 1,00,000 units in India, their margin would be somewhere around 10%. Considering the import duty and other marketing costs, the profit is minimal. If you take all of this into consideration, Apple would not even consider bringing the iPhone 4 into Indian markets altogether, but they will in course of time.
If you do want to get your hands on an Apple device, the new iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle are available at the Apple India Store now at Apple.co.in/store, go ahead and book yours, but don’t expect to see an iPhone 4 at your door for the next few months at least.
