Prices vary widely, between US, Europe and India.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BANGALORE: The wait for many Apple lovers in India will be over soon. The company announced the launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for Rs. 53,500 and 62,500, respectively, for the 16 GB versions, which will be available in Apple retail stores starting from October 17, as previously announced on its India website.
The American Bazaar had reported about the launch date but, the company removed it from the website a day after the global launch event.
The global unveiling for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus happened on September 6th and it became the most sold iPhone ever with more than 4 million people pre-ordering it in the first 24 hours. After the first week of the launch, the number shot up to 10 million. They reached this magical figure without China, where iPhone 6 sales have yet to commence.
The pre-order of Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones in India will begin from next week, and early bird customers will start receiving their iPhone units from 16th night. Currently Apple dealers are sending emails to their existing customers announcing the launch and price details of the phone in India.
According to the emails, the 64 GB version of iPhone 6 will be priced at 62,000 and 128 GB version at Rs. 71, 000. The 5.5 inch controversial iPhone 6 Plus will be available for Rs. 71,500 and Rs. 80,500 respectively for its 64GB and 128GB variants.
The cost of the 16 GB version of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the US, with a 2–year contract is $199 and $299, respectively, although reports have pointed out that the phone costs much more, in the $600 range once all the cost factors are taken into account.
In Europe, the 16 GB variants of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus come at a price of £539 and £789, respectively.
The launch of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was also accompanied with some distress calls from the iPhone users who complained about bending problem. Also, many female customers complained about their hair getting stuck inside iPhone 6 while making calls. The company had to face a social media outrage after the hash tags #bendgate and #hairgate became viral.
Adding to the hardware issues, the new OS update of Apple, iOS 8 came under attack as people complained about frequent bugs. A patch, later announced by Apple, affected many iPhones as users failed to connect to cellular networks.
It has become a practice for Apple to release their new gadgets a bit late in the Indian market. The older iPhone 5s was also released in India a month after its global launch. It is worth mentioning that iPhone 5S was also came to India with a price tag of Rs 53,500.