Apple is reportedly on the verge of changing up its iPhone sales strategy in India to bolster sales in the region.
Citing a source familiar with Apple’s strategy there, The Wall Street Journal says Apple plans to open up distribution of its iPhone to a considerably larger network of sales partners, all with the aim of making the device available outside of direct sales by local carriers.
The big reason for all this? Apple’s iPhone footprint in India is a tiny, and actually on the decline. The Journal points to data from IDC that shows Apple garnered just 1.2 percent of handset sales in the region between April and June of this year, a number that pales in comparison to growth seen by rivals, though mainly Samsung.
One explanation offered by the Apple CEO Tim Cook during on an earnings conference call in July is that there’s complexity in distributing products within the country, something that brings extra costs to the equation.
Apple does not yet sell the iPhone 5 in India, though is rumored to be coming later this month. The Journal adds that the device is expected to sell for the local equivalent of about $854 and up.
India is predicted to grow to be a key battleground for sensible phone makers in the coming 12 months. consistent with research from Cybermedia, goodphone gross sales grew 87 p.c between 2010 and 2011, throughout final yr eleven.2 million smart telephones shipped within the area. That tally is anticipated to just about double to twenty million for 2012, the company stated in a research word in advance this year.
Nevertheless, good phones aren’t the primary form of phone Indian consumers are shopping for, the magazine notes. citing data from IDC, approximately 70 % of the estimated 220 million handsets bought within the area in 2012 value not up to $one hundred, putting the iPhone out of succeed in for lots of.