A tax hike in India on imported smartphones announced last week has hit iPhone prices as predicted. The company has increased prices of every model except the locally made SE by an average of 3.5% …
Reuters reports that this makes the iPhone X even more expensive in a country where Apple currently has just a 3% market share.
The import tax on imported iPhones was increased from 10% to 15% in a bid to encourage local manufacturing. Apple has been hardest hit, as only the iPhone SE is assembled in-country, while competitor Samsung has local assembly of almost every model sold in India.
It was also reported last week that nine out of ten Apple devices sold in India are imported.
Apple has previously indicated its willingness to expand manufacturing in the country, but says that developing a local supply chain takes time. It has asked for the government to delay planned increases in taxes on components, a request which appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Photo: GadgetsNow
