iPhones, Including iPhone X, Will Get International Warranty; But There’s A Catch!

For the first time ever, Apple has decided to provide international warranty to iPhones, which have been bought outside US.

This is a huge step, because getting warranty for iPhones was possible only in that country from where it was bought. Hence, if an iPhone was bought in say Germany, then 1-year warranty was applicable only when it was claimed in Germany, not in India.

But now, even if an iPhone is bought in Germany, but being used in India, the warranty would be applicable.

Till now, only MacBook had international warranty, that too for few latest models.

Considering that bookings for iPhone X starts from today in India, this is an interesting news.

However, before calling your cousin in Dubai or Singapore for booking a new iPhone X, hold on.. Because there is a fine print associated with it.

We will soon discuss that fine print, but before that, let us understand why this is a big deal?

International Warranty for iPhones Is Now Live!

Few days back, Apple silently activated International Warranty for all new iPhones, including iPhone X. However, the terms and conditions page of AppleCare hasn’t yet been updated.

International Warranty for iPhones is a big deal, because of the price difference.

Take for example iPhone X, whose bookings start today.

If you buy it in India, it costs Rs 89,000 for 64 GB version, whereas the same is available for Rs 65,000 plus taxes in USA.

iPhone 8 costs Rs 64,000 for 64 GB version in India, whereas the same is priced at Rs 45,000 in USA.

The only downside of this difference was warranty – iPhones purchases in US had warranty applicable only in US, not in India.

However now, iPhones bought in US and other countries will have warranty applicable in India as well.

Hence, the big deal!

But.. Read The Fine Print First

Not every iPhone would be eligible for this International Warranty, and this should be noted carefully.

International Warranty on iPhones is applicable only on those iPhones which are unlocked at the factory itself, NOT on those iPhones which are carrier-locked.

This means, that if a person buys iPhones under contract from any telecom carrier say AT&T in US or Orange in UK, and then unlocks it from 3rd party, then the International warranty won’t be applicable.

This move by Apple is also seen as a big push for grey market, as people hesitant to buy iPhones earlier would be now more open.

Parv Sharma, analyst at CounterPoint Research said,

“The international warranty facility will encourage people to buy the iPhones from abroad. But as far as the grey market go, people may no longer hesitate in exploring this option. Warranty was one of the key concerns for buyers when purchasing a device from such places. However, the facility is unlikely to impact Apple’s mass sales in India,”

Are you going to buy iPhone X from the grey market, as International Warranty is now open? Do let us know by commenting right here!