Apple iPhone Prices Increase In India After Import Duty Hike

People try out the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max during a product launch event at Apple. 

Photo: Xinhua

Get ready to hear more kidney jokes around Apple iPhones. Apple has increased prices on some of its iPhone models in India because of an increase in customs duty on imported mobile phones and chargers. In addition, an increase in the social welfare surcharge in the Union Budget 2020 has also forced Apple to raise prices.

The price hike will affect models like the iPhone 11 pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone 8. The increased prices are effective from 2 March 2020.

However, prices on the iPhone XR and iPhone 7 are unchanged because these models are being assembled in India by Apple supplier Foxconn and Wistron. There is no price change on these hot-selling models.

The company has also exempted the popular iPhone 11 and iPad, Apple Watch and Mac desktops from any price hike.

Revised Apple iPhone Prices

• iPhone 11 Pro Max 64 GB: Rs 1,11,200
• iPhone 11 Pro Max 256 GB: Rs 1,25,200
• iPhone 11 Pro Max 512 GB: Rs 1,43,200
  
• iPhone 11 Pro 64 GB: Rs 1,01,200
• iPhone 11 Pro 256 GB: Rs 1,15,200
• iPhone 11 Pro 512 GB: Rs 1,33,200
  
• iPhone 8+ 64 GB: Rs 50,600
• iPhone 8+ 128 GB: Rs 55,600
• iPhone 8 64 GB: Rs 40,500
• iPhone 8 128 GB: Rs 45,500

That’s an increase of about Rs 1,400 on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which was earlier priced at Rs 1,09,900 for the base model. The iPhone 11 Pro was earlier priced at Rs 99,900.

Prices for the iPhone 8 have also gone up.

Industry sources say that the coronavirus impact in China, which has put stress on the production and supply of some Chinese brands, has nothing to do with Apple. The price hike is solely on the bases of customs duty hike on imported mobile phones and chargers.

Mobile phones were earlier exempted from 10 percent service welfare cess, but it will now be re-imposed on imported handsets over and above existing 20 percent basic customs duty in India.

The government has increased the import duty on PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) from 10 percent to 20 percent and chargers from 15 percent to 20 percent.

(With inputs from IANS)