This is the second time around for iQOO in India; the iQOO 15, 15R and Neo 10 have all been made more expensive by up to Rs 2,000. The new rates are in effect everywhere now, and they come in under two weeks from the last time we saw a change. In a segment where value is king and people don’t like to dally, it makes for stiffer competition.
What the fresh hike signals
You see this kind of thing when brands point to the cost of parts, top-shelf hardware or the money being put into AI. Even Tim Cook at Apple will tell you their products are no exception to the current headwinds. There’s a lot of pressure on the supply chain right now.
We first heard about it from tipster Sanju Choudhary. For anyone who follows the numbers on a performance phone, the timing is worth noting: with revisions coming in quicker than before, the sticker price is a bit of a moving target.
How the new prices stack up
Let’s start with the iQOO 15R. The 8GB + 256GB model is now Rs 49,999, having been Rs 47,999. If you want the 12GB + 256GB, that’s Rs 54,999, and the 12GB + 512GB is set at Rs 61,999. All in all, you’re looking at a jump of anywhere from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,000 over what they were at launch.
Then there’s the iQOO 15. The 12GB + 256GB has gone from Rs 74,999 to Rs 76,999. The 16GB + 512GB is now Rs 83,999 (was Rs 81,999). So the base model is effectively Rs 4,000 off its original Rs 72,999 tag. The top of the line has seen a similar Rs 4,000 climb from Rs 79,999.
If you were after the iQOO Neo 10 for the value, you’ll notice the difference. The 8GB + 256GB is Rs 41,999 and the 12GB + 256GB is Rs 46,999, up from an opening of Rs 33,999 and Rs 35,999. They’ve also done away with the 8GB + 128GB and 16GB + 512GB options.
Strategic positioning amid tougher rivals
When iQOO put these three out, the pitch was all about value. Take the Neo 10: you got a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, 120W charging and a 7,000mAh battery in a bracket that was hard to beat. The latest numbers whittle that down a bit, but they haven’t let the device fall behind the pack.
The iQOO 15 is still very much a hardware beast with its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 2K 144Hz AMOLED and 7,000mAh battery. Down in the 15R, you have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and a 7,600mAh cell – not something you see every day in this class.
And the field is no less crowded. The OnePlus 15 came in at the same price as the iQOO 15 but is now starting at Rs 85,999. The 15R, which is the 15R’s main rival, is at Rs 54,999. iQOO still has a small edge on price after this round of changes.
Buying now vs waiting for sales
You can find the new pricing on the big e-commerce sites and in stores already. With one revision following another, it’s hard to say if we won’t see more. When the Amazon and Flipkart sales come around, a higher list price could mean the discounts don’t add up to as good a deal as you’d hope.
A few things to think about before you make a move:
– The revised rates are in place on all channels
– We’re seeing hikes of up to Rs 2,000 here
– Don’t count out the possibility of more to come
For the type of user who wants the most for his money, the 15R is still a draw. The iQOO 15, for its part, is under some of the other flagships once you factor in how much they’ve hiked their own prices.
As for the Neo 10, the new tags make it a little less of a steal, but it’s still a solid package for what it is. If you’ve been on the fence, it might be wiser to get in early rather than later, given how fast things have been changing.
