It is no longer ‘cheaper’ by far in China. Not at least where the iPhone 5S is concerned. No, this is not a Ripley’s Believe it or Not either. Did you know you can get an iPhone 5S in India at $781 as against $856 in China?
Heck! The phone is cheaper even by that preferred shopping destination — Singapore, where it is available a tad higher at $784.37, according to Deutsche Bank Research titled, The Random Walk. Mapping the World’s Prices 2014. And the phone is available the cheapest in, hold your breath, Japan. The price? $695.02.
The report attributes the reason for the affordable pricing to a weaker rupee that has allowed India to remain the cheapest major economy in the world despite persistently suffering the highest inflation rate. The fact that India still runs a large current account deficit illustrates that being competitive is more than just being cheap, the report adds.
Here is the cost of iPhone 5S in dollars in various countries and how they compare with the US prices: