We already know that Apple is all set to make in India, and a recent ET reports revealed that it will start with assembling 3-4 Lakh units at the Karnataka plant being set up by contract manufacturer Wistron.
To refresh your memory, iPhone 5SE was an ‘Affordable’ iPhone first introduced about the same time last year, and the one that we weren’t very enthusiastic about. It targets people used to small display iPhones, but follows the same redundant design which was first introduced in 2012 and is missing key technological advancements like 3D touch display and a faster TouchID.
Also Read: iPhone SE Doesn’t Make Much Sense
That somehow didn’t justify the $399 price abroad and definitely not the $580 price (Rs. 39,000 for the base 16GB model) in India. However, iPhone SE did sell like hotcakes in Europe and US, as a significant portion of Apple’s user base was accustomed to small sized iPhone.
From the technology standpoint, the iPhone SE is anything but interesting. The only factor that Apple gets to play with is the pricing. It would be interesting to know how low Apple is willing to go with its aging product. After all, the Cupertino giant surely isn’t the one to side with, what can be termed as, ‘disruptive pricing’. Also, same as Oppo and Vivo, Apple will be targeting offline market in India.
But this isn’t about the iPhone SE. This is about taking that first step. As of now, the company wants to “experience manufacturing in India”, a person familiar with the company’s plans told ET.
Meanwhile, Apple will be waiting for GOI to take its final decision on the special concessions that it’s asking for. If everything goes its way, the company might shift a significant chunk of its manufacturing operations from China to India very soon.
