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Apple might reduce iPhone SE price to bolster demand and potentially undercut the Pixel 4a

By Anam Hamid

Updated: May 18, 2020, 11:39 AM

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iOS Apple

Apple might reduce iPhone SE price to bolster demand and potentially undercut the Pixel 4a

Apple might cut margins on the already affordable iPhone SE to boost sales and move some iPhone production outside of China, according to a new AppleInsider report.

The iPhone SE starts at $399 and Apple appears confident that it could win over some Android users with the device. Per investment bank Piper Sandler's analyst Harsh Kumar, Apple is willing to forgo some of its margins on the phone to drive up sales. The iPhone SE apparently has a 54 percent component cost margin, much greater than the company's average product gross margin of 30.4 percent.

In the long run, Apple stands to gain from a cut in iPhone SE margin as it could get more people to use its services, which apparently have a gross margin of 65.3 percent.

Previously, it was reported that the Google Pixel 4a will start at $349 for the 128GB model, so it could be that Apple is trying to stay competitive by reducing iPhone SE price.

Apple rightfully doesn't want to be caught in the middle of the US-China trade war

The report also says that Apple is looking to diversify manufacturing to locations outside of China. The US recently extended its ban against Chinese company Huawei for another year. It also wants to restrict the company's ability to produce chips and obtain critical parts that are based on US-origin technologies.

This could further escalate tensions between the two countries and China might retaliate against US businesses to get back at the Trump administration. Most of Apple's contract factories are in China and it couldn't risk a disruption because of the rift between the two countries.

One location of interest for Apple is India. The report says Apple executives are in touch with Indian officials regarding moving production capacity worth $40 billion over the next five years. Production will likely be done by current partners Wistron and Foxconn. At the same time, the company supposedly wants to reduce its reliance on the Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn. This is typical of Apple, as diversifying the supply chain helps it to minimize disruptions and negotiate better prices.

According to another report, Apple might move as much as a fifth of its manufacturing capacity to India.

On the demand side, China made up 14.8 percent of Apple's revenue in Q1 2020. Needless to say, China is an important market, and the smartphone market there is already showing post-pandemic signs of recovery.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.