Apple Unveils iPhone 16 Series, To Start At INR 79,900 In India

Big tech major Apple unveiled the latest iPhone 16 range of smartphones at its flagship “Glowtime” event in Cupertino on Monday (September 9).

The event saw the launch of two different models – iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The new iPhone 16 will be available in India starting at INR 79,900, while iPhone 16 Plus (512 GB) will cost INR 1.2 Lakh. 

The latest smartphones will hit the shelves in India starting September 20. 

Additionally, the company also launched its latest range of Apple Watch and AirPods. While the newly unveiled Apple Watch Series 10 has been priced starting at INR 46,900, AirPods 4 and AirPods 2 Pro will be priced at INR 12,900 and INR 24,900, respectively. 

“With new ways to discover the world around you and capture memories using Camera Control; a 48MP Fusion camera that gives you two optical-quality cameras in one; a big boost in battery life; and powerful, efficient performance thanks to the A18 chip, this is the perfect time for customers to upgrade or make the switch to iPhone,” said Apple’s vice president of iPhone product marketing Kaiann Drance.

Powered by its in-house A18 series chipsets, the new iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch screen and will include a 48 MP “Fusion Camera”. Available in five different colours, the new iPhones will also come built in with multiple artificial intelligence (AI) features.

It is pertinent to note that the big tech major unveiled its GenAI offering called “Apple Intelligence” at its developer conference in June this year, which can generate text, images and other content on command.

What is however interesting is that many of these new iPhone 16 smartphones will be manufactured in India. As per a report by Economic Times, “Made-in-India” iPhone 16 will be available across the world within the first few days of the launch of sales.

Typically, Apple commences worldwide sales within 10-12 days of the launch at the flagship event.

This is a much faster timeline than 2022, when it took nearly two weeks for made-in-India iPhone 14 to hit the global shelves. In 2021, the lag was a few months for iPhone 13 models, meaning these smartphones hit global outlets months after initial launch. 

However, iPhone 15 smartphones were shipped to overseas markets within days of the launch last year. 

Sources told Economic Times that original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Foxconn has already kicked off production of the new series of smartphones in India, which will be exported to multiple countries “within the first few days of the start of sales”.

The new launches come at a time when Apple has actively diversified its production outside of China amid geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington DC. This pivot to India also comes on the back of hefty production linked incentives (PLIs) and other sops offered by the Centre. 

As per Economic Survey 2023-24, India contributed about 14% to Apple’s overall production in FY24 and emerged as a key hub for its global exports. Contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron (now owned by Tata Group) and Pegatron cumulatively produced iPhones worth INR 1.2 Lakh Cr in India in FY24, of which INR 85,000 Cr worth of devices were exported.

A report by JPMorgan projected that Apple plans to shift 25% of its iPhone production to India by 2025 with an eye on cutting down its over dependence on China and diversifying its manufacturing bases.