What you need to know
- Apple stops selling the iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus in India.
- The decision comes as Apple changes its focus from volume to revenue.
- The new base iPhone 6s will cost $116 (Rs 8,000) more for consumers.
Apple is changing its plans in India for one focused on volume over revenue. To boost revenue, its first order of business is to stop selling older iPhone models according to a new report from The Economic Times.
As part of its new strategy to focus on driving value in India instead of chasing volumes, Apple has stopped selling the iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus and 6s Plus, three senior industry executives said. This will increase the entry level price of an iPhone in India by almost Rs 8,000.The executives said supplies of these models stopped last month. Apple's distributors and sales team have informed traders that the new entry model will be the iPhone 6s, as and when the existing stock of the earlier.
The move will make the iPhone 6s the new base Apple device in China, which will boost revenue because it costs Rs 8,000 more than the iPhone 6, which is about $116.
Interstingly, the decision to stop selling the iPhone SE in India comes even though Apple was manufacturing the device in the country.
Apple's charge of course is definitely a response to the declining iPhone sales volume in India over the past year, though report does mention sales were on the up thanks to promotions on the iPhone XR. However, Apple sought to cut these after its pivoted away from a focus on volume. It'll be interesting to see how Apple's new tactics play out in India.
