iPhone Shipments In India Down 50 Per Cent: Apple Losing Market To Chinese Due To High Prices And Low Features 

The shipment of Apple iPhones into India in 2018 has shrunk by half from 2017 according to estimates, reports the Economic Times. The latest estimation would mean that 2018 performance has been its worst since 2014 in India and adds to the global problems which have forced Apple to cut upon its revenue outlook.

Estimated projections of Apple’s India shipments from Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Technology Market Research and CyberMedia Research in 2018 were at 1.6 to 1.7 million and 2 million respectively. Both are lower than in 2017 when Apple shipped in 3.2 million into the world’s fastest-growing market for smartphones.

According to analysts, the high prices of Apple phones were not able to fight against China’s OnePlus, which offer smartphones with better features at half or even a third of the iPhone cost. According to research director at Counterpoint Research, Neil Shah, Apple’s estimated shipment in October to December stood at 400,000 units against OnePlus’ 500,000 units.

“Apple had been rising every year until 2017… the 2018 shipments will be at the level of 2014-15, setting them three years back in a market that has grown 50 per cent between 2014-15 and 2018,” Shah said.

Analysts said other factors including high competition, a thousand dollar price tag on new phones and failing to attract customers despite offers on new and old phones led to Apple’s global problems including slow economic growth in China. Other factors include shrinking potential base, lack of 5G support until 2020 - all leading to the slump in 2018.