'What's the point of made in India?': Apple fans complain iPhone 15 costs more in India than in US, Dubai

Many desi netizens have been left disappointed when Apple revealed on Tuesday that the 'made in India' iPhone 15 will still cost more than in US or Dubai. 

iPhone 15 will cost Rs 79,900 in US while the same has been priced at Rs 66,000 in US and nearly Rs 77,000 in Dubai. iPhone 15 Plus has been priced at Rs 89,900 in India while it will cost Rs 74,600 in US and Rs 85,857 in Dubai. The latest iPhones will be available in India from September 22. 

This didn't go well with the netizens who complained that "what's the point of made in India?".

Several components are shipped after the payment of import duty and the scale of business in India is much lower than US or Dubai, said analysts.

Earlier versions of the iPhone, the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 14 were also 'made in India'. However, this never affected their price.

However, on the positive side, availability of the iPhone 15 in India would be on the same day as rest of the world. 

MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday: "The world's largest company in technology Apple has launched its new iPhone 15. During this launch, India is achieving two milestones. First, the availability of the iPhone 15 in India would be on the same day as the availability of it in New York and London. And the second is that the NavIC GPS satellite system developed by ISRO would be present in the iPhone 15."

Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones — a line-up that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system and a price hike for the fanciest model.

As has been case with Apple and other smartphone makers, the four types of iPhone 15 models aren't making any major leaps in technology. But Apple added enough new bells and whistles to the top-of-the line model — the iPhone 15 Pro Max — to boost its price by USD 100, or 9 per cent, from last year's version to USD 1,200. Apple is holding the line on prices for rest of the line-up, with the basic iPhone 15 selling for USD 800, the iPhone 15 Plus for USD 900 and the iPhone 15 Pro for USD 1,000.

All the new models will be available in stores September 22, with pre-orders beginning this Friday.

One of the biggest changes that Apple is announced is a new way to charge the iPhone 15 models and future generations. The company is switching over to the USB-C standard that is already widely used on many devices, including its Mac computers and many of its iPads.

Apple is being forced to phase out the Lightning port cables it rolled out in 2012 because of a mandate that European regulators plan to impose in 2024. Although consumers often don't like change, the transition to USB-C ports may not be that inconvenient. That's because the standard is already widely used on a range of computers, smartphones and other devices people already own. The shift to USB-C may even be a popular move since that standard typically charges devices more quickly and also offers faster data transfer speeds.

The basic iPhone 15 models have been redesigned to include a shape-shifting cutout on the display screen that Apple calls its "Dynamic Island" for app notifications — a look that was introduced with last year's Pro and Pro Max devices. The basic models are also getting a faster chip used in last year's Pro and Pro Max models, while the next generation of the premium iPhone 15s will run on an even more advanced processor.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max also will be equipped with what Apple maintains is the equivalent of seven camera lens. They will include periscope-style telephoto lens that will improve the quality of photos taken from far distances. The telephoto lens boasts a 5x optical zoom, which lags the 10x optical zoom on Samsung's premium Galaxy S22 Ultra, but represents an upgrade from the 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Apple is encasing the premium models in titanium that the company says is the same alloy used on some space ships.

Besides its new iPhones, Apple also announced its next generation of smartwatches — a product that made its debut nearly a decade ago. The Series 9 Apple Watch, available in stores September 22, will include a new gesture control that will enable users to control alarms and answer phone calls by double snapping their thumbs with a finger.