14 DAY TRIAL // Apple will start manufacturing the iPhone 6s Plus in India in an attempt to make the device more affordable for local buyers.
This makes the iPhone 6s Plus the second Apple smartphone produced in India, after the iPhone SE. In charge of the manufacturing process will be the existing Apple partner Wistron, which according to reports, has already started trial production of the device at the Bengaluru facility.
One of the reasons Apple plans to make the iPhone 6s Plus locally is to reduce the price of the device by as much as 7 percent, according to people with knowledge of the matter. This way, the iPhone 6s Plus would be more aggressively priced as compared to rival models from Samsung and OnePlus, which are benefitting from strong sales in the country.
iPhone 6s Plus price drop
On the other hand, it appears that Apple’s new price strategy will come into effect gradually, as Wistron doesn’t have the production capacity to meet the estimated output for the device. In other words, parts of the Indian inventory will still be sourced from China, but rather sooner than later, the iPhone 6s Plus is expected to benefit from a substantial price cut.
Apple is betting big on the Indian market and expanding its presence in the country is part of its plans to increase its local market share.
The company has started manufacturing iPhones in the country to comply with Indian regulations after it tried for several years in a row to rely on refurbished models.
In the United States, the iPhone 6s Plus is available with prices starting at $549 for the 32 GB version, while the 128GB configuration can be purchased for $649. Prices, however, are expected to drop significantly later this year when Apple will introduce a new more affordable iPhone whose pricing is projected to begin at $699.