iQOO is going back and forth in pricing its first smartphone, the iQOO 3, in India. The flagship smartphone launched at Rs. 36,990 in India back in February, but it recently received a price bump due to the GST tax rate hike. And now, Vivo’s gaming-focused smartphone brand has announced a permanent price cut for the iQOO 3.
Post the GST hike, the iQOO 3 started at Rs. 38,9990 for the 4G base variant. But, it has now received a Rs. 4,000 price cut and starts at Rs. 34,990 in India. That’s lower than the launch price of the device in India. Here’s a quick comparison between the launch, old (post-GST) and latest prices for both the 4G and 5G variants:
- iQOO 3 4G (8GB+128GB)
- launch price: Rs. 36,990
- old price: Rs. 38,990
- new price: Rs. 34,990
- iQOO 3 4G (8GB+256GB)
- launch price: Rs. 39,990
- old price: Rs. 41,990
- new price: Rs. 37,990
- iQOO 3 5G (12GB+256GB)
- launch price: Rs. 44,990
- old price: Rs. 46,990
- new price: Rs. 44,990
While both the 4G variants are now marked lower than their launch prices, iQOO 3 5G is again priced at Rs. 44,990 – its launch price in India. Now, you must be wondering, why the permanent price cut?
In an official press release, Gagan Arora, Director-Marketing, iQOO India addresses this by saying that affordability will be a major concern once the lockdown (in effect due to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic) is lifted. “In order to continue with our proposition of offering best-in-class features with 5G capabilities at an affordable price point, we have decided to refresh our pricing, making the iQOO the most cost-effective 5G enabled device in India,” he adds.
iQOO also reiterated its commitment to timely Android updates, along with the price cut. The new prices are now live on iQOO’s official website and should be updated on Flipkart once the sales resume after the lockdown. So, does iQOO 3’s updated pricing make it more attractive than the OnePlus 8 or Realme X50 Pro to you? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
