It’s finally here! After years and years of selling iPhones and other gadgets to customers via third-party resellers, Apple is finally launching its Apple Online Store in India. This is the first time the Cupertino-based company will sell its products directly to customers in India, and Apple ensures it will offer the same ‘premium’ experience to its online store customers in India, as it does to other customers in Apple store (physical Apple Stores) around the world.
Apple will offer one-to-one sessions to its customers via online Apple Specialists. Customers will be able to get advice, receive guidance, and learn about new products directly from Apple, both in English and Hindi.
Commenting on the launch, Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People, said: “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.”
Apple Online Store in India: What’s Different?
For the first time, Apple will offer a trade-in program wherein you’ll be able to exchange your old smartphone for credit towards a new iPhone. Customers will also be able to customize Macs now. Till now, Apple has not offered any customisation when it comes to Mac, customers have had to select from pre-configured Mac.
Apple will also offer special pricing to students, for shopping an iPad or a Mac. Students also get a discount on accessories and AppleCare+. Apple online store will also offer engraving of emoji or text in English, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu for AirPods, and English engraving will be available for iPad and Apple Pencil.
Due to the on-going COVID-19 situation, Apple is offering contact-less delivery wherein the orders that don’t require a signature (customers will be able to opt-in for this) will be left at the customer’s door. For the orders that require confirmation will be confirmed verbally from a safe distance.
Since pay-on-delivery isn’t possible, due to COVID-19 norms by the central government, Apple will offer payment options from credit and debit card, credit card EMI, RuPay, UPI, net banking and to credit card on delivery.
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