To be Apple or not Apple in India

To set the course of this discussion, I will start with myself. Well not fundamentally myself, what I am currently have in my hand; so that whatever I write from this moment on has a ground to exist in real life also. I do currently own and regularly use (It is definitely a very packed Applesque environment (more especially considering India). )

1. iPhone 6s, 
2. iPad Pro 9.7, 
3. MacBook Pro 15 inch 2016 and 
4. iMac 5k. 
5. AirPods and 
6. Apple Watch (Series 1). 

There are multiple ways to structure this and I have tested multiple ways to do it. However I landed to the traditional Good and Bad strengths. So we begin:

Good Apple 

1. Ecosystem: Once you are in this, you are never (its very difficult) going back. There is no other company in the world that provides this seamless “ecosystem”. Handoff, iMessage and universal copy paste are simply brilliant. Apple Watch and AirPods along with the features mentioned before and not mentioned are something you don’t need necessarily; however, they amaze you every time you use them. My favorite being unlocking the MacBook or iMac with Apple Watch. 
2. Service: Service is a very strong point of Apple. You do get relatively fast service and with apple care; its great. Very few other companies provide service of this level in India. 
3. Privacy: Apple is pro-privacy. Given the lack of tech literacy in India, Apple devices would definitely be the number one recommended device. 
4. OS Updates: India gets OS update the very same day as rest of the world gets and indeed thats a great feeling. 

Bad Apple

Before I start I would definitely point out that this is very written in the context of Apple experience in India. I have experienced Apple in USA and yes it is absolutely possible for you to not be able to relate with the statements following. 

1. Service: Yes, Yes, I remember putting service in Good case. However there are a few points that does not help Apple’s case:
1. Service isn’t everywhere. There are select cities, where its available.
2. Service if you are out of Apple care gets very very expensive as there is no repair as such. Apple goes for replacement; which is the full payment of a new phone. 
3. Just a simple check up charge is kind of expensive amounting to Rs 2000 (iPhone) and more in case of expensive products. 
2. Price: Ridiculous is the term I would use. Given the lower average income; and an excess of 35% in charges compared to US price, Apple in India does not really help some one stick to Apple and have the complete ecosystem. 
3. “Apple” things: Here I specifically point to Apple services such as Wallet, Pay and Maps. None of these are useful and block a lot of good experiences due to lack of push by Apple in Indian market. The fact that you can’t change default apps which do not work in the country hurts the experience rather than enhancing it.
   Also adds to the lack of iMessage users in India (Price being the biggest barrier)- half the Apple goodness is lost there (read Animoji here)
4. Apps: Apple indeed has the more beautiful apps but the lack of Indian apps and less frequent updates is really disheartening. macOS suffers from other expenses not in the OS price (its free yay !) but however Windows systems in India normally come with Office subscription at this price; however you have to buy the lot for macOS. Similarly companies have better (or only) apps on Android and Windows systems rather than macOS. For example Universities do not have macOS subscription of software and they won’t just spend more because few people use Macs.
5. OS update: Although we do receive it on same day, iOS 11 has been the worst ever product that Apple has put in the recent years. 
6. The rise, rise and rise of Chinese manufacturers: No doubt India is a great market for Apple and Indian people love Apple. Apple says quality product are expensive; however Xiaomi has proved it otherwise, it has consistently produced great quality products at a reasonable price and there is no stopping them in the near future. OnePlus indeed comes with its own issues. But that phone is priced really well and is crazy fast and even more compared to iPhone 8 for half the price. Also the dual sims :) 

Conclusion: I want to be Apple. But the lack of focus on part of Apple for India as well as the expenses and the half experience leaves a lot to desire. Unless you have a lot of money to spare; Apple seems not a likely recommended product. But if you have money you can definitely enjoy the “half-full” experience that apple offers.