It’s March, and if there’s one constant in these extremely unpredictable times, it’s the Apple Event!
With its streak of industry-breaking product announcements, this event is super important for Apple.
The event is lot more significant in the backdrop of 2021 was a bumper year for Apple in India, as its operating revenue saw a record annual growth of 68 percent, and 2022 could see Apple’s India top-line bypass Rs 30,000 crore.
It can finally release a few new products that aren’t targeted at just the early adopters!
However, like always, these products will reach Indian shores with a much higher price differential owing to the strong US Dollar (USD) compared to the Indian Rupee, currently quoting around Rs 76.85 per USD, mark-up and taxes on the converted landed value of the products. That leads to one question: Are they worth it?
Let us look at all the new product announcements, keeping in mind the inherent price hike, the brand, and the ecosystem.
Let’s start with the Apple TV+. Apple’s pricing in India may seem exorbitant, but their services are an absolute steal! From that angle, I believe this is a great thing for Tier 1 or aspirational Indian Apple TV subscribers! Also, NFL!
Apple TV is the good part of the announcement; it’s mostly a slippery slope after this. (From an Indian buyer’s perspective.)
The iPhone SE is extremely overpriced. With an eight-year-old design, this iPhone is the exact opposite of “same thing with a different package”. It is “the same package (body design) with perhaps overpowered new internals“. But, at an MRP of Rs 43,900!
In case you thought this was the story of just one product, other iPhones tell the same tale. The iPhone 13 series is the same product “with a new colour option”. And, at the same price, even after almost half of its shelf life is over!
Next up is the iPad – my favourite product series. At this event, Apple took a decision that betters the product series in all ways. The iPad lineup is now the only product series that uses one chip architecture for 50 percent of its devices and another for the rest. However, it’s the center stage along with iPad OS15 that will excite most users! It’s perhaps the best-priced Apple product series in India, at a starting MRP of Rs 54,900 for iPad Air.
Being pro-Apple in India is more about your salary and less about your professional requirements! Once again, the Mac Studio and Studio Display will ensure it stays that way.
While both products are an amazing feat of product R&D and design, for most Indian ‘Prosumers’, the beautiful design and display technology, amazing architecture of M1 Ultra, and the mind-boggling power-to-performance ratio of the new products won’t be an option at all because of the price. Except perhaps, for techies! (And the “dream machine’ product ad shows it!).
Finally, there was a “But, it’s for another day” update on the much-awaited MAC PRO tower, but the only thing I’m awaiting is the cost of its maxed-out version in India.
The price of the most expensive product announced today? Rs 7,89,900! (For the maxed-out Mac Studio!).
And that says it all.
