Now Reading: Realme hikes prices of 16 Pro Plus and other smartphones in India
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Realme hikes prices of 16 Pro Plus and other smartphones in India
Realme hikes prices of 16 Pro Plus and other smartphones in India
Realme has increased prices of several smartphone models in India, including the Realme 16 Pro Plus, Realme 16T and Realme C83 5G. The steepest hike is on the Realme 16 Pro Plus, whose base variant now costs Rs 49,999, up Rs 10,000 from its launch price of Rs 39,999. The 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is now at Rs 55,999.
The Realme 16T (starting around Rs 30,000) and the budget C83 5G (now Rs 16,499 for 4GB+64GB) have also seen increases. This is not the first hike this year: Realme had raised prices in June and July as well. The company cites rising memory and storage chip costs due to surging demand from AI data centres as the reason.
Other brands like Samsung, Nothing and Vivo have also raised smartphone prices in 2024. The impact is most visible in the Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 price segment. Prices may vary by retailer and online platform.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Realme is not alone in this price revision. Smartphone makers across the board, Samsung, Vivo, Nothing, have raised prices in 2024, driven by rising NAND flash and DRAM chip costs as AI data centres consume more memory supply. The Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 segment, where Realme 16 Pro Plus sits, is the most affected. This bracket covers a large part of India's aspirational mid-premium buyers. Competition in this band is fierce, a Rs 4,000 hike on the Pro Plus could push some customers to rivals like iQOO or OnePlus. The next clear signal to watch is whether Realme holds prices through the festive season sales (Diwali) or offers deeper discounts to recover volume. The company's previous price rises in June and July suggest this is a structural trend, not a one-off.
Source: bazaar.businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
