Apple AirPods prices hiked in India due to new import duties

If you were hoping to pick up a pair of Apple AirPods, we don’t have great news for you. Apple has raised the prices of its entire AirPods line and you have to shell out a few thousands more -- a good few thousands more in one case -- to buy the company’s audio solutions now.

The price hike follows the coming into effect of the new import duties the Indian government had announced over this year’s budget session. Those went into effect earlier this month prompting Apple to revise the prices.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced during the 2022 Budget Session that custom duty rates were going to be “calibrated to provide a graded rate structure to facilitate local manufacturing of wearable devices, hearable devices, and electronic smart meters”.

As per the new import duties, headphones and earphones will attract a 15 per cent to 20 per cent duty upon import to India. Apple’s AirPods range are being subjected to less severe duties - about 5 and 10 per cent for headphones and earphones.

Thanks to this, Apple’s AirPods Gen 2, AirPods Gen 3, AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max have all seen a price revision by up to 10 per cent. All the new prices are visible on the online store. Fortunately, though, Apple has not revised the prices of any other device.

How much will you pay for AirPods now?

Starting with the AirPods Gen 2, these buds were previously available for Rs 12,900. They now cost Rs 14,100 after a Rs 1,200 price change.

The AirPods Gen 3 which were available for Rs 18,500 earlier, now cost Rs 20,500 after a Rs 2,000 price hike.

The AirPods Pro were available for Rs 24,900 before the price change. They are now priced at Rs 26,300 following a Rs 1,400 increase.

Finally, the Apple AirPods Max has witnessed the largest price hike. Originally priced at Rs 59,900, the headphones are now available for Rs 66,100, following a price bump of Rs 6,200.

Is there any way you can get them for cheaper?

If you are planning to buy the AirPods from the Apple Store online, you will have to pay the new prices.

However, the AirPods are available at their older prices on Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, etc.

It remains to be seen if this price change prompts Apple to manufacture AirPods locally any time soon. The company already manufactures some of its iPhone models in the country - like the iPhone 11, iPhone 13, iPhone SE, etc. They are also gearing up to manufacture the iPhone 13 in India starting this month.

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