Premium phone makers dial down prices of flagship models this festival

Apple's iPhone 16 Pro drops to ₹70K; Samsung S24 Ultra drains ₹58K off its tag

If you are looking for hefty discounts this festival season on premium phones that seemed unaffordable earlier, this is the opportune time.

 

According to Techarc, a research company that tracks mobile phones, Apple Inc has hit the top spot in terms of discounts on the iPhone 16 series, launched only last year. The average price has been cut by 38 per cent from its official launch price to welcome the festival season.

 

Models in play include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Leading the charge is the super-premium iPhone 16 Pro, whose price has been slashed from the launch price of ₹1,19,900 to ₹70,000 — a saving of ₹50,000, or over 41 per cent. Clearly, for those who find the newly launched iPhone 17 Pro at ₹1,34,900 expensive, the previous series — just over 12 months old — is available for almost half the price.

   

But the South Korean electronics giant Samsung is not far behind. It might have a lower average discount across its models (35 per cent), but its premium S24 Ultra secures the top position among competing brands for a single model, with one of the steepest price cuts of 44.6 per cent and a saving of ₹58,000 on a top-end product with advanced features.

 

Says Techarc founder Faisal Kawoosa: “This time the deals on the premium range are very attractive. This is aimed at attracting consumers to make the most of the festival season sales period and step up to a higher segment, where smartphone brands are able to offer a superior experience and retain them for longer periods of time.”

 

Of course, most premium phones launched last year or earlier are already at a 20–25 per cent discount over their official launch price — online and in retail stores — but the additional festival season discounts make it even more attractive for consumers to upgrade.

 

Most of the other players have also jumped on the bandwagon, but their discounts are much lower than those of the two premium phone makers. In the case of OnePlus, the average discount on five of its key models (OnePlus 13, 13R, 13s, OnePlus Nord 5, and CE5) is pegged at 14.5 per cent, with the OnePlus 13 seeing the sharpest cut of ₹12,000 (17.5 per cent).

 

Vivo, led by its premium Vivo T4x, has dropped its price to ₹32,000 — a cut of ₹8,000 this festival season. On the other hand, Motorola has slashed the price of its Motorola Razr 60 by ₹10,000 to ₹39,999, making it affordable for consumers looking for a foldable, luxury-designed phone.