In a big win for Flipkart, it has entered into a partnership with Apple to introduce India to the wonders of the iPhone 7. The partnership is also expected to expand to include iPads, Macs and other Apple products in the near future. Also in on the partnership is Infibeam, which has been authorized by Apple to sell its iPhones and iPads.
Flipkart has always sold Apple products, however, it did so by first sourcing them from third-party retailers instead of Apple. Under the new deal though, it will receive products and support directly from Apple. Apart from greater credibility, the partnership will also have some significant, material benefits as well.
For one, Flipkart’s cost of obtaining these devices will be driven down. This will lead to greater margins and increased profits for the company. Also, the company won’t have to bleed money in offering discounts — like last year –either since by receiving stock directly from Apple, it can sell them at their usual price.
For Apple, it will maintain the sanctity of its pricing schemes and prevent scenarios like last year, where its iPhone 6 and 6S were sold at discounted rates by various e–commerce giants in a bid to drive up their GMV.
The deal must taste particularly sweet to Flipkart because while it will be sourcing devices directly from Apple, its chief competitors, including Amazon India, will still have to rely upon third parties for their supply.
Infibeam’s partnership with Apple is somewhat similar, however, the company will be limited to selling iPhones and iPads. Flipkart on the other hand. will have access to a much larger part of Apple’s ecosystem.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will likely be made available in Silver, Gold, Rose gold and the all new Black hue. We can also expect Apple to offer them with the now standard 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models. The Jet Black model — if there are any of them left — will probably be sold in a flash, so you would be well advised to keep your eyes open and your fingers ready at the mouse, near the release date.
The devices are expected to come with a price tag of around INR 60,000 for the 32GB iPhone 7 and Rs 70,000 for the 32GB iPhone 7 Plus. Meanwhile, the previous iterations, the 6s and 6s Plus, will likely receive major discounts that may range up to Rs 22,000 as well.
The iPhone 7 series of devices are going on sale in India starting October the 7th. We can expect them to appear upon Flipkart and Infibeam portals around that time as well.
Apple ties up with Flipkart for iPhone 7 sales in India
