14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has lost ground in emerging markets such as India, there’s no doubt about it. However, the company plans to take back some of the market share it lost to Android, by offering devices at competitive prices.
Apple is almost inexistent on the mid-range segment of smartphones, which is why it did not manage to attract too many fans in India.
This might change in the not so distant future, according to Times of India. The Indian site claims that Apple plans to relaunch the iPhone 4 8GB in India very soon.
The handset was initially released in India for Rs 26,500 ($420 / €310), but it did not get enough traction due to its high price. Since Apple announced that it stopped production for the iPhone 4 8GB, the Indian market will probably receive all the units left in stock.
The good news is that Apple decided to make the iPhone 4 8GB much cheaper than the original suggested retail price. According to the cited source, the smartphone will be available for only Rs 15,000 ($245 / €180).
While the price is not yet definitive, we expect the company to discount the now discontinued smartphone to an attractive amount in order to expand its customer database in India.
“While there is still a latent demand for the iPhone 4 due to its attractive price in India, the model has lost favour in matured markets and hence it may not make sense for Apple to start fresh production since it follows economies of scale,” said a senior executive at a top electronic retail chain.
The iPhone 4 8GB will be available for purchase in India via multiple major retailers across the country, but a release date has yet to be confirmed. We will keep an eye out for additional details on this one so stay tuned for more info.