Adani Ospree Duty-Free: iPhones at a Cheaper Price than Dubai?

Will there be any issue with 5G bands? For example I have Australia purchased LG V50 5G (Made in Korea) and the 5G doesn't work in India. Even though the band support is there, Airtel, Jio etc have not enabled from their side so have to be content with 4G only. 

I recently bought mine from Dubai. I saw the Adani store at BOM airport. The salesman couldn’t confirm which variant it was, but I noted the model number in the box and googled it. It was the Hong Kong variant. The Hong Kong variant I believe has the shutter sound which cannot be disabled. 

Vu. Just to add: BBD is very close. You may get better price in BBD sale without travelling anywhere 😊

@Vrushali.S thanks for mention

vu

Buying iPhones at cheaper prices from Dubai has been a trend for years, and it seems to have been one for some compelling reasons. It’s a place to get iPhones at ultra cheaper prices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB variant at ₹96,000 instead of ₹1,54,000 in India.

But hold on, the Ospree duty-free store also now lets you buy iPhones at a cheaper price and we are just saying - it just might prove to be cheaper than Dubai. Before you get too happy, note that there’s a “might.”:)) Let’s talk some details.

Adani Ospree Duty-Free offers tax-free shopping on products like liquor, fashion, cosmetics, electronics, and perfumes, making international purchases more affordable. Travellers with an Adani One ICICI Platinum Credit Card earn 7% in reward points, while Signature cardholders earn 3%, with points redeemable at ₹1 per point.

The Adani-backed Ospree Duty-free shop is present at international airports in India such as Mumbai (BOM), Amritsar (ATQ), Ahmedabad (AMD), Jaipur, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru.

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Travellers with an international flight booking can purchase iPhones at a lower price at Mumbai International Airport Duty-Free or any other Adani Ospree Duty-Free store in India. Since these shops are located post-immigration, customers are technically outside India and are exempt from paying taxes like customs duty or GST.

• iPhone 15 Pro Max, 256GB, Natural Titanium - ₹1,06,500

• iPhone15 Pro, 128GB, Black Titanium - ₹90,200

• iPhone15 Pro Max, 256GB, Black Titanium - ₹1,06,500

• iPhone14, 256GB, Starlight - ₹85,590

• iPhone 15 Pro, 512 GB, Black Titanium - ₹1,18,300

• iPhone 15 Pro Max, 512 GB, Natural Titanium - ₹1,27,700

Comparing iPhone Duty-free price vs Online price vs Lowest deal prices

So, it appears that Adani Ospree Duty-Free might be one of the most cost-effective ways to buy a high-end iPhone in 2024. However, lower-end models like the iPhone 14 Plus are generally cheaper when purchased locally in India or online.

Additionally, travellers can save up to 15% up to ₹3000 more by using credit card offers from Axis, ICICI, HSBC, AU, Federal, DBS, and others. Plus, depending on your Adani ICICI card variant, you can earn 3% to 7% in reward points on your purchase.

iPhone 16 series is also among the upcoming smartphones launches in India and with that, we can of course expect to see a price drop on the iPhone 15 series.

India’s one of the biggest online sales of the year, the Flipkart BBD Sale 2024 is also announced. So you may keep your plans of buying an iPhone on hold for some days until the sale.

Read:

Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2024 Announced in India

One of our DesiDime users recently published a thread asking if they should get the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB variant from Dubai at a ₹96,000 price. You can check out that thread here.

Now, if we look at the same iPhone model price at Mumbai Duty-free, it is about ₹1,06,500. Now, on the face of it that may look expensive. But let’s do some simple maths.

Let's say there are two scenarios here, one where you are getting an iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB at AED 4349 in Dubai (INR 99K approx) and the same model at ₹1,06,500 in Mumbai Duty-free. 

• Scenario 1 (Dubai):

The cheapest return flight to Dubai currently costs about ₹19,000, adding another ₹3000 per night hotel stay at a decent 3-star hotel. This totals to ₹22,000. So 99K (phone price) + 22K = ₹1,21,000

• Scenario 2 (Mumbai Duty-free):

Alternatively, you could buy the iPhone in Mumbai Duty-Free for ₹1,06,500 and take a cheaper international flight to a nearby country like Nepal, which costs about ₹14,000. Add ₹1,500 for a 3-star hotel, totalling ₹1,22,000.

After applying a ₹3000 credit card discount, your cost drops to ₹1,19,000, plus you earn 1,000 reward points. (1 RP = ₹1).

Author's Update: Pre-ordering (prior 3 hours of pickup) fetches you another 10% extra discount further lowering the price. 

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🟢Conclusion: Factoring in food and travel costs, getting the iPhone from Dubai might end up being more expensive than purchasing it at Mumbai Duty-Free with a trip to a cheaper destination like Nepal. So it indeed might be cheaper to buy an iPhone at Adani Ospree Duty-free vs Dubai.

But please note that there’s no clear-cut answer here. Some models such as iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB are up for grabs at AED 4999 (INR 1.14 Lakhs approx) while the same is at INR 1.27 Lakhs at Mumbai Duty-free store.

🟡Disclaimer: The above calculation only provides a base idea and may differ. These scenarios assume that you are travelling yourself to get the iPhone, not relying on a relative or friend to bring it for you, which would naturally change the cost.

• After clearing immigration, visit the pre-order collection counter at the duty-free store. Show the QR code (received in the booking confirmation email), your passport, and your boarding pass to collect your package of goodness.

• Duty-free products are not available for purchase if you are flying domestically

• EMI is not allowed

• To get the discounted price, you need to pre-book your iPhone through Adani One at least 3 hours prior

• The Adani Ospree Duty-free store is located post the immigration and hence travellers must have a valid international flight ticket

• In India, the duty-free allowance limit for electronics is below INR 50,000. So to avoid getting charged by customs on your iPhone purchase, remove it from the seal-packed box and carry the phone in your pocket (ideally, it should be turned on & have a SIM card).

• You cannot return your purchase made from the Duty-free store

• We couldn’t confirm which iPhone variant shoppers will receive (Japanese, USA, or other) at the duty-free store. Hence it is better to reach out the customer care once and clear your doubts before you make a purchase

Apple has been making some iPhone models in India since the year 2016 or 2017 and to the disappointment of many users, that has not led Apple to lower its iPhone prices in the country.

Many people believe that since “iPhones are made in India” now they should get cheaper. But that’s not the case exactly. iPhones are majorly assembled in India so Apple still needs to source certain components from other countries levying a custom duty of about 22% and adding another 18% GST to it. They are now working on building a local supply chain within the country.

But still, for the most part, the cost is up by 40%. Now, you know why the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB costs ₹1,00,650 in the US and the same costs ₹1,44,999 in India:))

Also, not all iPhone models are made in India. So Apple can’t have two tiers of pricing for iPhones made in India and iPhones not made in India.

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So, this was all about sharing how users in India can buy iPhones at cheaper prices in 2024. We kind of missed adding one detail, you also get a free chocolate worth ₹690 on your first order above ₹8000 on shopping at Adani Ospree Duty-free😄

Do share with us in the comments below, what’s your thoughts and how has been your experience buying an iPhone overseas or at an international duty-free airport.

A big thanks to @Sam702 for first sharing this deal with us here

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How to Make UPI Payments without the Internet