KOLKATA: Apple is advancing the time of its India launch for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to 6 pm on September 29 to ensure the widest possible sales window, moving away from its practice of starting the sale of new devices at midnight or late evening as in the past two years.
India will get the new phones a week after they go on sale in the US. The company is working to ensure the new iPhones, watch and Apple TV are available on September 29 in India at more than 10,000 retailers, making it the company’s biggest launch in India, said two senior industry executives. They said Apple is targeting over 50 per cent growth in sales in the launch period over last year.
The executives said Apple will roll out an advertising campaign covering airport, digital, radio and print to build the buzz starting with digital on its website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from September 18. The consumer launch event will take place in leading malls on September 29 in nine cities including the National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad, they said.
Pre-bookings will start on September 22 in India and there will be a special launch day cashback offer for consumers using Citibank cards that will ensure India pricing matches that in the US, the executives said. This includes a cashback ofRs 10,000 on the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and Rs 15,000 for consumers who are buying a new iPhone and Watch Series 3 together.
