Author(s): Jaskaran Singh Saini and Dinesh Kumar Saini
The smartphone industry in India has been witnessing double-digit growth in recent years, becoming the fastest smartphone market globally. The saga of evolution began with the dyads, i.e., Apple and Samsung, in the initial years and are now dominated by new entrants viz, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, Vivo & others. The flagships from Apple and Samsung touted as stark rivals, also exhibit a deep sense of coopeitition when it comes to pricing. The paper dives into the pricing strategies of the Apple and Samsung flagships considering their Indian and Global prices. The research clears the main doubt in the end user's mind if importing a product (especially Apple products) can be viable. Among the plethora of smartphone brands flooding the Indian markets, customers need to be cautious when making purchase decisions. Simultaneously, besides profiteering, smartphone manufacturers should prioritize high ethical standards to make their products environmentally sustainable. The paper aims to help consumers better understand the difference or similarities in the pricing strategy of the dyads. The trendsetters in the smartphone industry are outsmarting the competition by attaching astronomical price tags each year. When the ownership cost of a smartphone is more than the national per capita income, consumers are advised to make a sensible choice without falling into the trap of consumerist conglomerates.