iPhones to come with International warranty but no official word from Apple yet

Apple restricted warranty service for iPhones to the country of purchase only but not anymore. The Cupertino technology giant has quietly updated its service policy and just like iPad, MacBook, and some other Apple products, iPhones too will come with international warranty.

There isn't any official documentation available from Apple on the same but one of our sources within the company confirmed that Apple has been offering the service on an informal basis for a couple of months now.

What this means for consumers is that irrespective of the country of purchase, the iPhone will get warranty cover in India as well. As buying an iPhone in some countries turn out to be a cheaper proposition, many consumers prefer buying an iPhone abroad but the warranty was not valid in India. With this new change in the policy, consumers can now get their iPhones repaired at the Apple service centers in India as well.

We don't have the official date since when the international warranty on iPhones has been active but consumers can visit the Apple website to check the warranty status or even call Apple customer care to check the same. "The international warranty on iPhones will affect India sales as there is a huge gap in India pricing", says Manish Khatri, Partner, Mahesh Telecom. It can give a boost to the grey market as well.

The unlocked iPhone 8 64GB costs $649 + $62 taxes (approximately Rs 49,500) in New York whereas the iPhone 8 64GB is retailing for Rs 64,000 in the Indian market. It was only the warranty restriction that stopped people from buying international units.

Another source suggests that one should not get excited about the new policy as Apple will closely watch this space to keep a tab on the situation. Policies can be changed anytime. If this leads to the increased grey market sale of international units, Apple can even roll-back this policy or add an additional clause for availing warranty.