Apple to launch first online store in India next week

NEW DELHI: Apple will launch its first online store in India on 23rd September, bringing a range of services directly to customers in the world’s second-largest smartphone market.

The company currently sells its products in India through third-party vendors and e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com and Walmart-owned Flipkart.

India provides huge growth prospects for smartphone makers as well as cheap labour to manufacture the devices. Apple assembles some smartphones, including the iPhone 11, at Foxconn and Wistron’s plants in two southern Indian states.

The company said the online store will offer AppleCare+ which extends the warranty on products by up to two years, as well as a trade-in program to let customers access discounts on purchase of new iPhones by returning previous models. These programs were previously not available in India. Customers will also be able to buy Macs with custom configuration.

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“We know our users are relying on technology to stay connected, engage in learning, and tap into their creativity, and by bringing the Apple Store online to India, we are offering our customers the very best of Apple at this important time,” said Apple’s senior vice president Deirdre O’Brien.

Through its online retail platform, Apple plans to offer assistance to customers in English and Hindi, while allowing users to engrave their iPads, Apple Pencil and Airpods in English and also in a handful of Indian languages, including Bengali and Gujarati.

Earlier this week, Apple rolled out a virtual fitness service and a bundle of all its subscriptions, Apple One, focusing on services that are the backbone of Apple’s growth strategy and that cater to customers working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.