Apple's much-anticipated iPhone 15 is set to hit the Indian market, but buyers might be in for a surprise as the prices in India are significantly higher compared to the US and Dubai, even though some of these iPhones are manufactured within the country.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max (1 terabyte) is priced at Rs 1,99,900 in India, marking a 51% increase when compared to the US price of $1,599 (approximately Rs 1,32,717). It's worth noting that this particular model is not yet produced in India. For the models manufactured domestically, the price difference is still substantial, up to 20% higher when compared to the US prices.

Dubai, on the other hand, offers slightly lower prices, with the iPhone 15 priced at AED 3,399 (approximately Rs 76,817), despite not being manufactured in the UAE.

The gap in pricing becomes even more apparent with the flagship Pro versions, which attract a 22% import duty. In India, the base variant of the iPhone 15 Pro is priced at Rs 1,34,900 compared to Rs 82,917 in the US. Surprisingly, it's priced significantly lower in Dubai at Rs 97,157. As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it costs Rs 1,59,900 in India, while it's priced at Rs 99,517 in the US and Rs 1,15,237 in Dubai.

Several factors contribute to these price disparities. A key Apple distributor explained, "One of the reasons is the supply chain, as several components are shipped after the payment of import duty. Also, the scale of business in India is much less when compared to strong volumes in the US and Dubai."

Prabhu Ram, head of the industry intelligence group at CyberMedia Research, emphasized that various variables impact the final pricing. "Apple does collaborate with partners to offer discounts and trade-in options in the year ahead to mitigate the impact of basic customs duties and additional taxes on the final pricing of imported models."

He also noted that the company's initial focus in India remains on the previous-generation models, allowing consumers to warm up to the new ones gradually. "Our insights point to older generation iPhones propelling Apple's growth in India," Ram said.

Navkendar Singh, associate VP with IDC India, added, "It is not right to assume that 'assembled in India' would mean cheaper iPhones. Apple wouldn't drop the prices of new launch models. Instead, it will invest in marketing, supply chain, and more importantly, run aggressive affordability offers for previous-gen iPhone models, which give the majority of volumes to Apple in India at any point."

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