‘Made in India’ iPhone 16 flies off the shelves in aspirational India

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) Riding on aspirational India as private consumption surges in tier 2, 3 cities and even beyond, Apple has seen its ‘make in India’ iPhone 16 flying off the shelves in the country. 

According to trade analysts on Friday, the new iPhone, which has several top-notch features like Camera Control, a powerful 48 MP fusion lens system (two optical-quality cameras in one), new A18 chip and a better battery life, are selling like hot cakes due to attractive financing schemes and trade-in offers at Apple retail stories as well as online.

Counterpoint Research Vice President, Neil Shah, told IANS that the momentum for new iPhone 16 is really great, driven by Apple’s aspirational appeal in the country.

According to him, more Indians this time are buying new iPhones rather than going for older generation devices, as purchasing power has increased in the country amid overall economic growth.

Moreover, latest consumer research said that 6 out of 10 users in premium segment buy smartphones through a financing scheme, which has worked well for Apple as the premiumisation trend is rising.

The Camera Control feature includes a tactile switch that powers the click experience, a high-precision force sensor that enables the light press gesture, and a capacitive sensor that allows for touch interactions.

Camera Control can quickly launch the camera, take a photo, and start video recording so users don’t miss the moment. A new camera preview helps users frame the shot and adjust other control options — such as zoom, exposure, or depth of field — to compose a stunning photo or video by sliding their finger on the Camera Control.

Later this year, Camera Control will unlock visual intelligence to help users learn about objects and places faster than ever before.

Additionally, iPhone 16 now take spatial photos and videos to help users relive memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro. Video can now be captured in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system.

iPhone 16 holds its value longer than any other smartphone thanks to its industry-leading durability, including the strong back glass, a water- and dust-resistant design, regular software updates, and the latest-generation Ceramic Shield with an advanced formulation that is 50 per cent tougher than the first generation and 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone.

The internal design has been re-engineered to allow for an even larger battery and to better dissipate heat, while making battery service easier. With the new internal design and advanced power management of iOS 18, the batteries are optimised to offer a big boost in battery life.

Available in 6.1-inch display, the Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology and the Dynamic Island offers an exceptional viewing experience, as per the company.

Notably, the Action button comes to iPhone 16, allowing users to easily access a variety of functions with just a press. Users can quickly open the camera, flashlight, or controls; switch between Ring and Silent; recognise music with Shazam; activate Voice Memos, Focus, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier; or use Shortcuts for more options.

The new A18 chip delivers a huge leap in performance and power efficiency, and is built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology to further accelerate Apple Intelligence (to arrive in India early next year). An upgraded 16-core Neural Engine is optimized for large generative models and runs ML models up to 2x faster than the A16 Bionic chip.

According to Prabhu Ram, VP-Industry Research Group, CyberMedia Research (CMR), Apple is benefiting from the strong tailwinds rising from the premiumisation wave in the Indian smartphone market.