Apple recently made a media announcement about iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. While the focus was on celebrating their record sale of 13 million iPhones within the first weekend, the thing that got us jumping off our chairs was the confirmation that October 16 would be the launch date of these shiny new iPhones in India.
Early Diwali
We have to admit that Apple caught us off guard. We were expecting the new iPhones to be available in November, probably hitting the market just a week or two before Diwali. That had been the trend for the last couple of years and there was no reason to speculate otherwise.
Hey, but no complaints! It’s a happy surprise and we definitely don’t mind celebrating Diwali a month early this year.
Bad News for Grey Market
While the general public is thrilled by this announcement, grey market traders must be cursing Apple. Every year, the gap between the US and Indian launch of iPhones is the golden period for these ‘businessmen’. They make merry by playing on the ‘I got it first’ temptation of the super rich by selling illegally imported iPhones for prices as high as 1 lac. Mind you these phones don’t even offer warranty support, as iPhone coverage is country specific.
Apple surely has been watching this dance and is ruining the party by bringing the iPhones here within just 20 days of the international launch. Smart play, Mr. Cook!
Should You Buy at Launch?
The temptation is too strong to resist! We are already dreaming of spending the Oct 17-18 weekend by playing around with a new iPhone 6S (No, we don’t like the gigantic Plus models). However, if you want to be smart buyer, then you should resist the Apple love for a couple of months.
Why? Because prices for the new phones will hold up till Diwali, but discounts will start popping up soon after. Don’t expect a major drop till the year-end, though. That will come later. So the ideal time to buy your iPhone 6S or 6S Plus should be Jan-Feb ’16 since you will be able to save 5000 to 7000 rupees easily. The question is whether you will listen to your head or your heart??
