Introduction to iPhone Popularity in India:-
IPhones are becoming popular in the last 2 years, especially in India & EMI’s. So a lot of people buy iPhones. Last year in Diwali, a lot of people bought the iPhone 12. And think that is such a wrong decision.
Because in the same price range, you can get so many good phones. You can get so many good phones, but if you want to show the cut & eaten Apple, then it’s a different story. Why should you buy an iPhone? Why not? If you’re buying it, then compare it with other Android phones. In the same price range.
The Apple Ecosystem: Updates & Software Advantage:-
These Android phones are very fragmented. This means that even today, less than 5% people have Android 15. If I talk about Android 14, then 36-37% people have it.About Android 13, then nearly 18-19% people have Android 13 & 12. So these new features that have come, Android phones can’t enjoy them. Once they buy it & if there are no updates after 3-4 years. Now that scenario is changing, there are 4-5 year updates, so Android is getting there. But iPhone has always been better in that regard 75-80% people already have iOS 18. Think about it, that’s the latest variant.
Current iPhone Models: iPhone 16 & iPhone 15 Series:-
Let’s look at which iPhones you can buy now. Cutting Edge is the latest & greatest iPhone 16 series. In that too, iPhone 16 Pro Max comes at the top. But obviously, you’ll have to pay that kind of money. You’ll have to spend Rs 1.25-1.50 Lakhs.And don’t think there are many people in our audience who are going to spend more than Rs 1 Lakh on a phone. But if you’re one of them, then buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max. You’re going to get everything in it. You’ll get cutting edge technology & a camera. Whatever is available on iPhones, you’re going to get it on the Pro Max.
And then you obviously have the iPhone 16 Pro. Which again, you’ll get everything because they’re Pro models. So absolutely no problem. But the question arises when it’s a non-Pro model. iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus & then the previous generation. Which are the most popular here, even compared to the current generation.
Avoiding Lightning Port iPhones:-
At the numbers, there’s a list of the top 10. The most sold phone in the world in 2024 was the iPhone 15, not the iPhone 16. It’s the same, we buy 1 generation old iPhones at a good price. And obviously, you get nearly all the features. So there’s the iPhone 16 series, then the iPhone 15 & then the iPhone 14.
If any iPhone has a lightning port, then don’t buy it.Because according to USB Type C is important. And the lightning ports are of the iPhone 14 series & its previous generation. If you want to buy it, then start with the iPhone 15 & you can go all the way up to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Comparing iPhone 16 & iPhone 15: What’s the Difference?:-
So you should only look at the phones of the 15 & 16 series, not the other ones. If you want the latest cutting edge, amazing screen, 4K 120FPS, slow motion videos etc. Then you’ll have to buy the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max. The Pro is priced at Rs 1.12L & you get the Pro Max for Rs 1.30-1.40L. The Pro is very simple, if you have the money & you want the cutting edge, buy it.
Otherwise, there’s no question. If you don’t have the budget, then how will you buy it? But there are questions when it comes to buying the iPhone 16 or the iPhone 15. You should buy the iPhone 16 Plus or the iPhone 15 Plus. Let’s about the iPhone 16. You get the iPhone 16 for nearly Rs 70K.
iPhone Pro Models: Worth the Price?:-
But with offers, you get it for Rs 63,999 i.e. Rs 64K. And the price range is such that either you buy the iPhone 16 or the flagship of Android. For example, buy the OnePlus 13 or the iQOO 13. So what extra do you get in the iPhone 16 as compared to the iPhone 15? You get a camera control button. Cameras are good on the iPhone, there’s no question. About the Pro models. No one uses the Pro features seriously. They buy it for the status symbol. Pro, especially the Pro Max, Pro 512GB, 1TB is the highest variant. It’s priced at Rs 2L, no problem.
Back to the iPhone 16, you don’t get AOD. You don’t get an adapter in the phone. And the charging speed is around 10-25W. At the same time, if you buy the Android phones for Rs 20-25K, you get 60W, 65W, 70W, 90W charging. So for me, the sweet spot, if you want to buy the iPhone, then according to me, the sweet spot is the iPhone 15.
The Sweet Spot: iPhone 15 for Most Buyers:-
If you want a bigger screen, then the iPhone 15+. But the iPhone 15 is costing you under Rs 60K. In offers & deals, it comes under Rs 50K. So this is what most people prefer. The design is good, the colours are good, the camera is seriously good. You get the latest OS & updates. You also get iOS 18 on top of it.
There’s also Dynamic Island, which is becoming more useful. In Dynamic Island, if you have a timer, if you’re playing something on Spotify, you can play, stop, pause, etc. So for multitasking, Dynamic Island is also good. But you have to remember 2-3 things. If you’re going to buy an iPhone for AI, whether it’s iPhone 15, iPhone 16 or any other phone, right now on iPhones, AI is not worth about.
Avoid Buying Older iPhones or SE Models:-
It’s not revolutionary at all. So AI should not be your criteria when you’re buying an iPhone. Just like the lightning port, don’t buy 4GB or 64GB iPhones. No matter how old or new they are. They should be at least 6GB. And you get 6GB on the iPhone 15. So no problems there.
Buying iPhones from Abroad: Weighing the Pros and Cons:-
If you’re buying an iPhone 15, you should definitely look at the S24. You get a lot of good things on the camera as well on the S24. So remember that. In the case of iPhones, many times, we Indians, if there’s someone in the US or Dubai, we ask them to bring it for Rs 10-20K. There are some caveats in it.
Bought the iPhone 16 Pro from the US, bought it from there. And it was made in India. The phone was manufactured in the US, bought it from there & brought it to India. Look at the import duty & currency. Yes, the currency prices are also increasing. For Rs 1, it’s around Rs 87-88.
Looking Ahead: iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 17 Series:-
So, those days are gone when you needed to order from outside. First, don’t buy iPhone 11, 12, 13, even 14 in 2025. Either 15 or 16. And don’t buy 4GB RAM or 64GB storage iPhones in 2025.It’s very important. Can buy an SE? 2-2.5 years ago, SE was launched. Now, SE 4 is coming, But the old SE, please avoid that. Absolutely avoid that, because you see Apple Intelligence everywhere. If you’re buying for that, don’t do it. So, that is what it is. This year, SE 4 is coming in 2025.
SE 4 is coming in 2025, so wait for it. And then iPhone 17 series is coming. And then iPhone 17 Air is coming. Which is kind of a very thin iPhone. So, there’ll be some interesting things. It’s also being said that the design is going to change. Pixel like camera module is coming.
So, the look is also going to change. So, if you want to buy an iPhone with a cutting edge, you can wait for another 7-8 months. Wait for it, wait for iPhone 17. And by then, there’ll be a lot of AI features. We’ll get to know what all is going to happen.