Apple doubles down on India

US tech titan Apple is effectively lowering the prices of its iPhones in India. That will help push its streaming services due to a large user base, say analysts.

Apple had its best quarter ever in the three months to December quarter, according to tech research firm Canalys.

India shipments*	Q4 2019	Q3 2017	CY 2019	CY 2018
Apple	925,000	890,000	2 million	1.6 million

(Estimates by *Canalys)

iPhone sales grew for the first time in a year. The company’s latest iPhones generated $56 billion in revenue, growing 8% from a year earlier.

It helped the Cupertino, California-based tech giant to beat market expectations.

“We are thrilled to report Apple’s highest quarterly revenue ever, fueled by strong demand for our iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, and all-time records for Services and Wearables,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement after releasing the quarterly results in January.

Subscribers to its and third-party services have risen as a result.

Apple	Active installed devices	Subscribers
2019	1.5 billion	480 million
2018	1.4 billion	360 million

(Source: Apple)

Streaming wars

As more Apple devices are sold in India, the company’s entertainment services are starting to get traction.

Apple TV Plus, the giant’s online television service, was rolled out at around US$1.39 a month in India. The company also launched its Apple Music streaming service at the same price point. Students, however, don’t have to pay as much – just about 69 U.S. cents monthly for each service.

Growth driver

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