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Early last month we reported that Apple was planning to sell refurbished iPhones in India and had submitted a formal request to the country's government in order to allow it to begin importing pre-owned iPhones into the country.

This morning, however, news has surfaced that major smartphone makers in the Indian market including Samsung, Karbonn, Micromax and Intex are actively opposing Apple's move on environmental grounds.

According to Bloomberg, phone manufacturers argue that elevated electronic waste levels could threaten the viability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India program, which promotes and encourages local manufacturing. Critics argue that destroying the phones produces toxic materials that could harm the country's precarious ecological balance, which is already struggling to deal with a massive e-waste problem.

iPhone-Comparison1.jpg

The opposition came in a letter sent to the Indian government by a lobbying group recently set up by India's Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA). In the letter, manufacturers argued that allowing the sale of used iPhones in India would not only negatively impact the environment, but it would also go against the country's importation policy.

"Why even consider allowing import of used phones when import of other used goods such as cars are precluded by 300 percent duty levies?" asked Ravinder Zutshi, chairman of the newly formed Mobile and Communications Council, which issued the letter.

Apple's initial application in 2015 was rejected by the environment ministry. The company's latest application has gone to "inter-ministerial discussion", leaving its outcome uncertain, according to the report. If approved, India would be the first territory with used iPhones to be sold directly from Apple.

Earlier in February, Apple was said to be close to opening its own retail locations within India, after having to rely on an "Authorized Mobility Resellers" program due to the country's strict real estate and zoning laws.

In December of last year, Apple cut the prices of its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets in India by up to 16 percent, following a reported dive in sales. The move quickly followed Apple's decision to halve the price of iPhone 5s, from 45,500 Rupees ($688) to 24,999 Rupees ($377).

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently praised India's business environment and stated that the company is putting increasingly more energy into the country, which has the third largest smartphone market in the world, behind China and the U.S.

Apple has less than 2 percent of the market, in which four-fifths of phones cost less than $150. Branded smartphones are available for as little as $35 in India, yet less than one third of the population uses them.

Article Link: Samsung Lobbies Indian Government to Deny Apple Request to Sell Used iPhones
 
In the letter, manufacturers argued that allowing the sale of used iPhones in India would not only negatively impact the environment

Environment??? Apple is the most environment friendly company in the world. I would agree with the "Make in India" argument, but not with the environment. Maybe samsung and others just hate business and Apple.
 
It's clearly a business idea to stop them and they're using that as an excuse. I don't know much about that topic, but pretty sure refurbishing phones does less damage then Samsung and all those companies not using renewable energy and other things like Apple does.
 
Regulations, high taxes, corruption ...
That's why India is a poor third world country.
Nonsense,
US taxes are among the highest
US has tons of regulations and subsidies to promote local manufacturing. It also, like all countries, have anti-dumpling laws
Corruption perhaps but not the biggest cause. Their population is a factor. China is the largest economy in the world yet they are nowhere near first world. Drop your stereotypes that border on racial slur

That only phone manufacturers are concerned tells me they are scared of competition more than anything else. Cheap iPhones would eat into their very tiny market share
 
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Poor poor Samsung. Always there for the environment and Apple always there against them. Will somebody please think of the children. I mean it's obvious reselling used phones is worse for the environment than making entirely new ones. O-o
[doublepost=1459765848][/doublepost]
Environment??? Apple is the most environment friendly company in the world. I would agree with the "Make in India" argument, but not with the environment. Maybe samsung and others just hate business and Apple.

Newsweek rated Apple in 18th place worldwide for 2015.
 
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WOW!
[doublepost=1459763184][/doublepost]
Whilst not saying that you are wrong, can you back that up at all?

The poster which I replied to should have said "Apple is an (very) environment friendly company"
If that was the case I wouldn't even replied too him.
The one who should back that up is the original poster, not the one which respond to that poster.
How many companies are there in the world, just a wild guess, 100 million and Apple is number 1, might be but I think there are lots of companies which are more environment friendly.
Apple makes/sells >100 million items, this means they create a lot of waste, there are plenty of companies which create little or no waste, to me those are more environment friendly than Apple.

I always laugh out loud when Tim Cook says "We want to leave the world better than we found it" , total crap!
 
The poster which I replied to should have said "Apple is an (very) environment friendly company"
If that was the case I wouldn't even replied too him.
The one who should back that up is the original poster, not the one which respond to that poster.
How many companies are there in the world, just a wild guess, 100 million and Apple is number 1, might be but I think there are lots of companies which are more environment friendly.
Apple makes/sells >100 million items, this means they create a lot of waste, there are plenty of companies which create little or no waste, to me those are more environment friendly than Apple.

I always laugh out loud when Tim Cook says "We want to leave the world better than we found it" , total crap!

The original poster would be referring to electronics manufacturers in the context of this article....
 
Two things.

1) Wait, how does it make sense that selling used goods is less environmentally friendly than making new ones? In one case one devices ends up in being discarded, in the other two or more do.

2) India taxes imports at 300% all the while selling us cheap ****? And people give Trump a hard time about him wanting to put tariffs on the countries that are undercutting U.S. goods. I really don't agree with a lot of the stuff he says but maybe he has a point about this one....
 
I knew something was going to come up, if anyone want better follow up on the article here is the link - http://www.livemint.com/Companies/7...d-India-with-used-iPhones-ignites-backla.html

It's going to be more of a political debate, plus with some valid/invalid concerns.

I wish them the best, although am not sure why they're so keen on reducing the prices over here.
Perhaps trying to grab the 300m+ middle class?
As far as I know, anyone who can afford one already seems to be getting one over here.
The rich however buy the iPhone, and then expand within the ecosystem.
(To be far, some or most are just buying it for the exclusivity and just the logo)

I'm not going to complain much though, I paid full price for my 6 and barely 1% discount through my MasterCard, but my sister however received well over/around 200$ discount on her 6S+ right after launch to my own surprise. :eek:
 
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Two things.

1) Wait, how does it make sense that selling used goods is less environmentally friendly than making new ones? In one case one devices ends up in being discarded, in the other two or more do.

2) India taxes imports at 300% all the while selling us cheap ****? And people give Trump a hard time about him wanting to put tariffs on the countries that are undercutting U.S. goods. I really don't agree with a lot of the stuff he says but maybe he has a point about this one....

That only pertains to import of used goods. Almost everything that gets imported is new. So hardly anything gets taxed 300%. There were times when iPhone 5s was actually cheaper in India than in USA. And please don't try to imply Trump makes any sense when he throws out that crap with his garbage mouth.
 
Interesting story, so basically Apple wants to bypass their regulations and laws to gain market share, heaven forbid they ever slash the iPhone 6 or 6S retail price to compete. Apple must make those huge profits no matter what.
They let you trade in your old iPhone at a store, clean it up, and if they have their way sell it in in India making I would guess a minimum 50% profit margin.
Do they sell their new iPhone SE in India? Can they not just discount that model to gain market share?
 
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Nonsense,
US taxes are among the highest
US has tons of regulations and subsidies to promote local manufacturing. It also, like all countries, have anti-dumpling laws
Corruption perhaps but not the biggest cause. Their population is a factor. China is the largest economy in the world yet they are nowhere near first world. Drop your stereotypes that border on racial slur

That only phone manufacturers are concerned tells me they are scared of competition more than anything else. Cheap iPhones would eat into their very tiny market share
The difference is that the US didn't expand the regulatory state until after it was a wealthy country. Contrast China with India. In the latter, the bureaucratic red tape is staggering compared to the former. The legislature debates everything, and even basic matters such as work permits need to be vetted by state and local governments in addition to the federal government.
 
1) Wait, how does it make sense that selling used goods is less environmentally friendly than making new ones? In one case one devices ends up in being discarded, in the other two or more do.
They won't last as long, and if India becomes a dumping ground for other country's used devices then they have to deal with all of their e-waste in addition to what is produced from new electronics in the country.
 
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They won't last as long, and if India becomes a dumping ground for other country's used devices then they have to deal with all of their e-waste in addition to what is produced from new electronics in the country.

I think the poster read it in the same way I did. We live on Earth, and so a device replaced in the US is trash unless it is given to someone else. So Apple gives the device to someone else, who is less tempted by the model that replaced it. This reduces the rate of collective trash of the world. Trash, like emmisions, is a global issue. It is not limited to the concerns of individual countries. What is shipped to India does not stop the problem of the US, or of any other country. Reuse should be encouraged, and India should promote it (so should the US), however they shouldn't be burdened with the costs to dispose of it. Which I think is where your point began.
 
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So... Let me get this straight, Samsung thinks it's more environmentally friendly to produce a new phone and throw the old one in the garbage than to use an existing phone for longer, obviating the need to produce more? Nope. This is about Samsung not wanting Apple competing at their price point, even used phones vs. new.

Environment??? Apple is the most environment friendly company in the world. I would agree with the "Make in India" argument, but not with the environment. Maybe samsung and others just hate business and Apple.
Hahaha, you are joking right.
WOW!
[doublepost=1459763184][/doublepost]
Whilst not saying that you are wrong, can you back that up at all?

Uh, let's see, what company could be more environmentally friendly than a multi-billion dollar megacorp which produces millions of phones made of compounds which won't degrade for millennia out of toxic chemicals (granted, recapturing a large portion of the toxins, far better than other companies in a similar position)... Hmm, maybe a company that does organic farming? A company that does consulting, and doesn't really utilize any environmental resources beyond electricity and any environmental harm they cause through their purchases? Pretty much the vast majority of companies around the world?
 
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Regulations, high taxes, corruption ...
That's why India is a poor third world country.

Well said. India has bigger problems like feeding it's starving population. By allowing Apple to sell these devices Apple is making it more affordable for those that can afford the refurbished product in India.

-Mike
 
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