iFans in India can look forward to more Apple products in the near future. According to reports, the company intends to triple its retail presence in India by 2015. With Apple allegedly looking to focus more on a emerging market like India, could a cheaper iPhone be well on its way?
"Buoyed by the success of the iPhone in India, Apple Inc has decided to scale up its presence in the country and plans to triple its exclusive stores to around 200 by 2015, said three of its dedicated franchisees," reports Economic Times.
On condition of anonymity, the franchisees told the newspaper that "they have been asked to scale up operations in the country as the Cupertino-based company plans to grow aggressively in the country."
Moreover, the franchisees disclosed that apart from increasing the number of Apple exclusive stores (called Apple Premium Resellers), the world's most valuable company also intends to expand its presence in India via multi-brand stores.
Currently, Apple has no official Apple Stores in India but works with dedicated franchises in the country. According to a franchise owner, after the phenomenal success of the iPhone in India, Apple has realized the potential of India as a major market and is looking to focus more on the region.
"After the success of iPhone, Apple has finally realised that India is a big market and needs separate focus," notes a Mumbai-based Apple franchise.
Apple rivals Samsung and Nokia in that both have budget offerings that suit the pockets of many price-conscious consumers in this developing market. Nokia's Asha series has seen phenomenal success in the country. Apple could well be taking a page out of Nokia and Samsung's books and may look to offer a cheaper iPhone offering that is affordable and will have more reach in a country that is driven by economics.
Rumors have been rife that Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone so that it can have a wider range of offerings that cater to all market segments. With Apple supposedly looking at striking a chord with the masses, the premium price may not be ideal and, therefore, the notion of a cheaper iPhone seems more plausible.
