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TechApple

Apple Wants To Sell Your Used iPhone Here

By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
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By
Hilary Brueck
Hilary Brueck
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April 4, 2016, 9:04 AM ET

Roughly 1.25 billion people live in India. Maybe they could use more iPhones?

That’s what Apple is arguing as the company lobbies to open a first-of-its-kind import business to sell used iPhones in the country, Bloomberg reports.

The move comes as India’s smartphone market is bursting open. The country recently edged out the United States to become the second-largest smartphone market in the world, Quartz reports.

But Apple is already meeting some resistance for its new plan to sell used iPhones. For one thing, India is making a hard push for more companies to manufacture their goods inside the country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India program.

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Samsung and Indian smartphone maker Micromax, which are both more popular in India than Apple, are also protesting the move, Bloomberg notes. They argue that the plan could cripple the market for more Indian-made smartphones. What’s more, they claim that all the extra batteries needed for used iPhones would be bad for the environment.

Apple has its hands on just 2% of the Indian smartphone market, while Samsung controls roughly a third, according to data from research firm IDC.

Meet One Of Apple’s Rivals In India:

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he’s trying to grow those numbers. Earlier this year, Apple filed an application to open up its own retail stores in the country, so it can sell new phones directly to consumers in flagship locations. Right now, it sells through third-party vendors like local electronics stores.

With the International Monetary Fund forecasting steady economic growth for the country both this year and next, and the population soaring, the market for more inexpensive smartphones in India is ripe: Earlier this year, the country debuted what might be the world’s cheapest smartphone: a $4 3G Android device. (Meanwhile, the Times of India reports a brand-new iPhone 5s sells for around $370 in the country.)

Apple did not immediately respond to Fortune‘s request for comment about the company’s import application.

About the Author
By Hilary Brueck
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