Apple will hang up on older models, small stores to retain premium edge

Apple will stop selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in India and move out of small stores and outlets where sales don’t exceed 35 units per month, three senior industry executives said.

The strategy is to reinforce Apple’s premium positioning in the Indian market and increase the entry price of iPhones by more than Rs 5,000 with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The iPhone maker had offered the iPhone 6 (32 GB) — introduced in 2014 — at about Rs 24,900.

The equivalent iPhone 6s version costs Rs 29,900. Apple has progressively increased the entry-level pricing in India from Rs 21,000 last year for the iPhone SE, which it took off brick-and-mortar shelves to shed the ‘discounted brand’ tag, the executives said.