New Delhi, Feb 20 . The launch of the iPhone 16E is an important step by Apple to maintain its growth momentum in India and revive demand in developed markets, industry experts said on Thursday.
Apple recently announced the iPhone 16E, a new product in the iPhone 16 lineup.
It offers powerful capabilities at a more affordable price.
The phone comes with the industry-leading efficiency of the A18 chip and the first cellular modem designed by Apple for fast, smooth performance and great battery life.
According to CyberMedia Research (CMR), the premium smartphone segment witnessed a robust growth of 36 per cent year-on-year in India, while the super-premium (Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000) and uber-premium (above Rs 1,00,000) segments recorded growth of 10 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.
Almost one in every five devices now is a premium smartphone, driven by consumer cutting-edge technology and lifestyle-oriented preference.
Apple entered the top five smartphone brands in India for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2024, registering 72 per cent year-on-year growth and 11 per cent market share.
Prabhu Ram, VP-Industry Research Group, CyberMedia Research (CMR), said, “This latest iPhone 16E is a milestone for Apple, bringing the company one step closer to full control of its end-to-end platform, which seamlessly integrates hardware and software.” He added that the inclusion of Apple’s in-house cellular modem in the iPhone SE signals the beginning of a new era, laying the foundation for a broader shift to Apple’s proprietary modem technology for the upcoming iPhone 17 series and beyond. “India remains an important pillar of Apple’s long-term growth strategy, just as China was over the last decade. While it is still early days for Apple in India, its ongoing retail expansion, marketing efforts and affordability initiatives provide ample scope for growth in urban and aspirational India,” Ram told . According to Tarun Pathak, Research Director, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at Counterpoint Research, the new iPhone 16E is impressive.
“In some key purchase decision factors like camera, the iPhone 16 base still proves to be an attractive option,” Pathak told IANS.
The premium segment in India is driven by EMI purchases, with 5 out of 10 users choosing financing to buy their devices.”
The iPhone 16E will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage capacities. The starting price of this new phone is Rs 59,900. The iPhone 16E will be available in two matte finish colours – black and white. Pre-orders will start from Friday and availability will start from February 28.
