With Apple being one of the most premium smartphone brands around the globe, it sets a benchmark every year for itself and other brands out there. This year, as usual, the brand launched a limited number of smartphones and followed its traditional scheme of unveiling high-end products that are nowhere near the affordable price segment. So did it work out for the brand, or did it go sideways? Let’s find out in our Report Card for Apple for the year 2021.
Apple 2021: The Number Game
Apple launched a very limited set of devices and the exact number stands at 4. This includes the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max. These 4 devices were available in 14 variants where 4 were launched for each of the Pro models and 3 were launched for each of the non-pro models. These 14 variants were launched at a price point above Rs 45,000.
Apple 2021: Hits & Misses
In 2021, Apple took the iPhone 13 Pro models to a segment where there’s no competition which is obviously beneficial for the brand. Yes, the target audience may be limited in that segment but the Pro models took Photography and Videography to another level this year, making it a smartphone apt for the ‘PRO’fessionals.
Read More: iPhone 13 mini diary: Final Four Day Summary – the Chhota Bheem of phones!
Further, Apple has been able to considerably increase its volume of sales and availability in India this year with more Apple stores and online availability. In fact, the most selling smartphone on Flipkart and Amazon during the Diwali sales was an iPhone which shows how the brand managed to secure such sales figures.
As for the misses for Apple in our report card, we feel that Apple still does not have a strategy that is made specifically for the Indian region. The Californian smartphone maker always has a global strategy that is implemented for all the countries and because of this, in our opinion, Apple is missing out on a considerable amount of market share which it can capture in India. Currently, the brand focuses on bringing down prices of older iPhone models in India over time, and that does help the brand to some extent, but not in a way and as much as an Indian-exclusive strategy can.
Further, the Pro models have evolved even further, taking them to a whole another price level, making it confusing as to what the target audience is. Also, for the first time, we were witnessing a shortage in supply for the iPhones where the brand delayed shipments by almost a month in some cases which was also a letdown.
Lastly, as we mentioned, people are going for older iPhone models instead of newer ones, which shouldn’t ideally be the case. People should be looking at the more recent models for purchase but because the price of the models is so high, people look for price-drops on older iPhones and fortunately for Apple, this strategy is working for now.
Apple 2021: Top 3 smartphones of the year
Out of the four models launched, we feel these were the top 3 devices from Apple this year:
#3 iPhone 13 Mini
The iPhone 13 Mini is in the third position because of how small its size is but how big it is on performance. The Mini model is one of the most appreciated models by Apple fans and was an ideal choice for those looking for premium flagships at a high price point.
#2 iPhone 13
With a size identical to the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 13 is a good choice because of its great cameras and a decent battery that make it ideal for most of consumers looking for an iPhone in India.
#1 iPhone 13 Pro Max
The top model from Apple’s product portfolio for 2021 takes the number one spot in our report card for Apple this year. The 13 Pro Max can be considered an elite device for anyone looking for a truly ‘Pro’ device.
This was it for our report card 2021 for Apple, and it will be an exciting year for the company, especially when reports for a new iPhone SE are popping up all over the internet. But, will it expand its product portfolio next year or stick to the current strategy – is a question that will be answered next year.