(Image source from: Amar Ujala)

It is a known reality that Apple had an unpleasant year in India, but assembling top-end iPhones locally through Foxconn might help the company gain some ground if only marginally. 

Meanwhile, Apple has been getting well from its market share dropping to an all-time low of just 1 percent in Q2 2018, its local domestic assembling is yet to pick up. The chief barrier remains that the American smartphone giant is being dependent primarily on imports for its sales. 

The 'Made-in-India' Apple iPhone might become inexpensive but only by a mere ₹5,000-₹10,000. That is only just a dent in the price of the iPhone XS Max, presently the most expensive iPhone variant, that costs ₹144,900. 

Actually, a survey conducted by the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) shows that more users in India are switching over from Android to iOS for precisely privacy and security reason. 

Over the past two years, the smartphone market in India has gotten more and more competitive. So much so, that Android brands like ASUS and OnePlus are launching premium features at a relatively budget price. 

Even brands like Xiaomi and Samsung, who have consistently led in the Indian smartphone shipments market share, are integrating higher specifications into their entry-level and budget smartphones. 

Apple's marketing strategy, on the other hand, has not been as clear-cut. Pricing has been an obstacle that has not allowed Apple to vie for market share in India. Among the latest iPhones that were launched in September, the cheapest iPhone - the iPhone XR - costs ₹76,900. 

Older iPhones, while cheaper, are not as alluring to buy because the most recent models by other smartphone brands with the latest specifications come at the same price, if not less. Even when taking the 20 percent import tariff out of the equation, the iPhone won't be cheap enough to compete with the likes of OnePlus, ASUS or Huawei. 

-Sowmya Sangam