In some markets, consumers who want to get hands on an iPhone 6s can expect to pay about $1000 just to get their hands on the base model. In India, for instance, the 16 GB version of Apple's smaller flagship officially arrived with a price tag of $935 (Rs 62,000). At the other end of the spectrum, an iPhone 6s Plus with 128 GB of storage could be had for a whopping $1390 (Rs 92,000).
The high barrier of entry seems to have been too much for many prospective buyers because Apple has just slashed the prices of its latest flagships by at least 10 percent across the board in India. A price cut so soon after an iPhone launch -- keep in mind, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus were officially announced in September -- is unheard of.
According to The Times of India, the price of a base iPhone 6s has dropped by 11 to 16 percent, now being sold, at major local retailers, for between Rs 52,000 ($785) and Rs 55,000 ($830) off-contract. That brings the local price closer to what consumers in other major markets can expect to pay (like Europe).
But, on Amazon for instance, an iPhone 6s with 16 GB of storage can now be had for less, as on the e-commerce site there's a major discount offered which brings the price down to an even more reasonable Rs 46,985 ($710). That brings the price closer to what consumers in US can expect to pay for the device -- Apple sells the 16 GB iPhone 6s for $649 unlocked.
The Times of India reports that prior to this price cut, in November, shipments of the latest iPhones in India dropped by 62 percent to 120,000 units compared to the previous month, when Apple moved 320,000 units. And, considering that everyone expects Q4 to be Apple's best quarter with regards to sales, you can see why the company wants to boost its sales number as much as possible before the end of the year.
Apple's latest flagships are not the only iPhones which saw a price cut in India, as the price of iPhone 5s has also been slashed three times in as many months. It can now be had for nearly half the price it commanded in September, says The Times of India. And, obviously, lower prices mean more consumers will be able to justify an upgrade.
Apple is under a lot of pressure to post higher year-over-year sales for Q4. In the last quarter of 2014, iPhones sold in record numbers -- 71.4 million units to be exact. In this part of the year, analysts expect sales between 70 and 75 million units, and, obviously, Apple wants to be closer to the latter number to reassure stockholders that its biggest money maker is doing fine. Its shares have dropped considerably this year, from $133 in February to $107 at the stock market's opening today.
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