Apple strategizes to Go 24x7

India: The e-commerce major and the tech giant have partnered to sell the latest variant of iPhone through the online portal of Flipkart. The selected models will be available on the flipkart’s portal from 7^th of October. Although the customers can pre-order the models from mid-night of 29^th September. The iPhone would be available in its 7 and 7 Plus range which is available at a starting price of USD920. The models are available with 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage capacity coming in shades of silver, gold and rose gold shades. The most talked about, jet black is only available with storage space of 128GB and 256GB.

The 32GB variant has been priced at USD920, whereas the prices of the other models are still to be disclosed. Both the variants, 7 and 7 Plus have same features except for the display size which is 4.7-inch 3D touch for iPhone 7 and a 5.5-inch retina HD display with 3D touch for iPhone 7 Plus. The company claims that the phones are 40% faster than the previous versions thanks to the all-new quad-core Apple A10 fusion processor. As reported by the company, the first three quarter’s sale of the fiscal year has shown a year-on-year growth of 51%. The company has opened up a new office in Hyderabad and aims to set up a R&D department to support Indian developers to innovate new technology for iOS.

According to TechSci Research, Apple aims to penetrate the Indian market even more. The company sources have always considered India to be one of its fastest growing markets. Earlier this year, Apple has also discussed about operating manufacturing units and exclusive retail stores with the Prime Minister of the country. This being the first time when the iPhones would be available on the portal of flipkart, is a big step to reach the untouched market. This would give the company new opportunities. Apple has shown much concern for e-commerce as it is one of the most effective and efficient way to reach the customers. The promising CAGR of 36% till 2020 is one of the main drivers of this decision by Apple.

According to a recent report published by TechSci Research, “India E-commerce Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020”, the country’s e-commerce market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 36% during 2015-2020. E-services segment, which comprises online travel, online payments, online classifieds, etc., is expected to continue its domination through 2020. However, the e-tail segment that includes electronics, apparels & accessories, health and personal care, etc., is expected to witness significantly higher market growth compared to e-services segment over the next five years. During 2015-20, the western region is expected to remain the largest e-commerce market in the country. Major players operating in India’s e-tail market include Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon.