Apple to relaunch iPhone 4 in India: Can it topple Samsung, Micromax?

Although a lot of people would like to own an iPhone, the high price often means that they would prefer a Samsung or a Micromax over shelling out so much cash for an Apple device. And now, after losing sales in the Indian market, Apple has decided to launch trade-in incentives and payment plan options to bring the cost down to manageable levels for most Indian consumers.

According to an Economic Times report , Apple is set to relaunch the 8GB version of the iPhone 4. “The US company, which is pressing hard to raise its market share in India, will price the device ataround Rs 15,000 through buyback and EMI schemes compared with its old retail price of Rs 26,500,” notes the report.

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“Apple’s iPhone 4 8GB model used to rank amongst the top three selling models by unit sales and fight neck and neck with Samsung, but with its exit the company lost much ground,” asenior executive at a top electronic retail told the newspaper.

But this is not the first time Apple is polishing its plans to enter and consolidate its stand in the Indian market.

Ealier, Apple had launched an innovative buyback scheme to entice more customers to purchase the iPhone 4.

As per the scheme, all smartphones, even brands like Micromax, Lava and Karbonn, could get you a minimum Rs 7,000 off on the purchase of the iPhone 4 model.

Times of India quoted a ’leading Apple premium reseller’ as saying that the scheme was the result of Apple deciding to “aggressively push the older model in India because it wants toposition the two-year-old phone in the sub- Rs 20,000 segment, where brands like Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia, Nokia Lumia and BlackBerry are jostling for dominance”.

Undoubtedly, the scheme worked really well for Apple. In just five days, the company had seen sales of the device triple.

Apple also offers monthly payment plans in six, eight, and 12 month installments. The combination of these made the iPhone easier for Indians to afford without actually making it anycheaper, increasing sales in India by over 400 percent.

While Apple is planning to enter the Indian market with renewed vigor, Micromax recently released a line of full-featured Android smartphones at rock bottom prices.

Apple’s market share in the Indian smartphone market dwindled to 1.4 percent in October 2013, according to CMR data. Samsung’s share, in contrast, rose to 42 percent from 33 percent in the same period.

Will Apple be able to win over Samsung in India with its offers?