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Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

bloomberg.com

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Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#11
post #7
post #4

A strangely-biased article, starting with the headline. But setting aside the concerns of the companies opposing this for obvious reasons, this is a really great idea. Consumers in poorer countries get the opportunity to buy used, high-end devices supported by the manufacturer, and those devices get another consumer cycle's worth of reuse before they get recycled. Plus Apple can now reach a large new segment of custo…

Or they can price it according to the market. How many people in US buy iPhone at full price? Most mobiles are sold at full price in India.

> How many people in US buy iPhone at full price?

Everybody. Anybody who doesn't is buying it on credit. They're still paying the full price (and then some).

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#12
There's something deeply contradictory in India's attitude. For imports (including setting up supermarkets in India) there are levys, laws and regulations to make it almost impossible for foreign companies. But then India is able to export its IT professionals and outsourcing across the whole world. Is this really a level playing field?

Why is no one calling this out as foul play? India seems to want one rule for when it is abroad and another when it's at home.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#13
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or they can price it according to the market. How many people in US buy iPhone at full price? Most mobiles are sold at full price in India.

> How many people in US buy iPhone at full price? Everybody. Anybody who doesn't is buying it on credit. They're still paying the full price (and then some).

Installment plans are recent trend isn't it. I see previously it was 2 year contracts for 199 etc. emi are common in India as well. Apple could have done the same in India.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#14

There's something deeply contradictory in India's attitude. For imports (including setting up supermarkets in India) there are levys, laws and regulations to make it almost impossible for foreign companies. But then India is able to export its IT professionals and outsourcing across the whole world. Is this really a level playing field? Why is no one calling this out as foul play? India seems to want one rule for whe…

Donald Trump's trade policy in a nutshell.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#15

There's something deeply contradictory in India's attitude. For imports (including setting up supermarkets in India) there are levys, laws and regulations to make it almost impossible for foreign companies. But then India is able to export its IT professionals and outsourcing across the whole world. Is this really a level playing field? Why is no one calling this out as foul play? India seems to want one rule for whe…

I understand what you are saying, but I think it is not true. Being an Indian and having lived there for 30+ years, I can hardly list any major international brand in any industry which isn't selling something there. Also all the big international brands are also big Indian brands, most people do not even care that they are not Indian owned brands.

So yes, huge amounts of foreign brands sell in India, but perhaps with local manufacturing or assembly. It is not a closed country at all.

edit/bid/big

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#16
post #5

I understand India's desire to push for local manufacturing, and some of this is all just a bunch of theater dancing around that issue. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg article does a good job of letting us read between the lines about the vested interests in keeping Apple out -- > “The millions of imported used phones will need their batteries replaced. What will happen to those batteries, where will they go?” asked Sunil V…

If a new phone is sold in India, its Indian owner benefits from the entire multi-year lifespan of the battery before it has to be disposed of. If a used phone is imported from the US to India, its battery will be nearing the end of its life - most of the benefit of that battery goes to the original American owner, but the disposal costs are dumped on India. From this perspective, it's a way for the developed world to dump our e-waste on the developing world and avoid having to dispose of it ourselves.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#17
I find some of the comments really surprising here. If you notice the headline and the article, you will see, this is about "used" phones from a top tier manufacturer. None of the other companies (Samsung, LG, Nokia...) are doing it.

Please do not compare this to Apple not being present in India. It is, in a large way, just not very affordable to masses, which Apple wants to change by selling old, used phones.

Disclaimer: I am an Indian, with an iPhone 6 and its damn easy to find it anywhere in the country.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#18
post #16
post #5

I understand India's desire to push for local manufacturing, and some of this is all just a bunch of theater dancing around that issue. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg article does a good job of letting us read between the lines about the vested interests in keeping Apple out -- > “The millions of imported used phones will need their batteries replaced. What will happen to those batteries, where will they go?” asked Sunil V…

If a new phone is sold in India, its Indian owner benefits from the entire multi-year lifespan of the battery before it has to be disposed of. If a used phone is imported from the US to India, its battery will be nearing the end of its life - most of the benefit of that battery goes to the original American owner, but the disposal costs are dumped on India. From this perspective, it's a way for the developed world to…

After a few years I'd cracked the screen on my iPhone 4 and the battery was losing it's charge. I took it to an Apple store and they replaced it with a refurbished model for £100 and it's still going strong. The Apple store employee told me the phones get new batteries as part of the refurbishment.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#19

There's something deeply contradictory in India's attitude. For imports (including setting up supermarkets in India) there are levys, laws and regulations to make it almost impossible for foreign companies. But then India is able to export its IT professionals and outsourcing across the whole world. Is this really a level playing field? Why is no one calling this out as foul play? India seems to want one rule for whe…

Foreign policy is not decided based on consistency. Every democratic government has a responsibility to defend it's own citizen's interests.

USA does this also, it wants free trade when it wants to export goods and services to other nations but opposes it when it comes to importing labor ( H1B VISA cap etc ).

This is not evil, it is this competition between nations that improves standard of living for people everywhere.

Re: Apple's Push to Flood India with Used iPhones Ignites Backlash

#20

There's something deeply contradictory in India's attitude. For imports (including setting up supermarkets in India) there are levys, laws and regulations to make it almost impossible for foreign companies. But then India is able to export its IT professionals and outsourcing across the whole world. Is this really a level playing field? Why is no one calling this out as foul play? India seems to want one rule for whe…

Foreign policy is not decided based on consistency. Every democratic government has a responsibility to defend it's own citizen's interests. USA does this also, it wants free trade when it wants to export goods and services to other nations but opposes it when it comes to importing labor ( H1B VISA cap etc ). This is not evil, it is this competition between nations that improves standard of living for people everywhe…

Labor is not trade.
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