New Delhi: Apple is deliberately taking a hit on its average selling price in India to prioritise market expansion, at a time when rival brands are being forced to increase prices of their existing products because of soaring component costs.The US company launched two entry-level products-MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e-this month with aggressive pricing to bring new users into the Apple ecosystem , particularly in price-sensitive markets like India, market trackers said.The downward pricing trend started in 2025. The average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone dropped by roughly 2% in 2025 from the year before, even as prices increased in the broader smartphone market, research firm Omdia said. The decline was driven by the launch of the budget iPhone 16e and strong sales of heavily discounted legacy iPhones.In laptops, while the ASP in India is Rs 55,000-Rs 60,000, Apple's average price has historically been double that, anchored by its premium MacBook Air and Pro models, research firm IDC said.Before the latest launch, the entry point for a modern MacBook was typically Rs 85,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The MacBook Neo brought it down to ₹69,900, targeting students and first-time buyers.The company is weaponising its massive scale at a time when the rest of the industry is struggling with high component costs that are creating constraints to keep prices stable, industry experts said. "The company's supply chain leverage provides enough of a cushion to maintain aggressive pricing, allowing it to steal market share while competitors are forced to hike prices or restrict production," an industry executive said.Unlike competitors who rely heavily on the immediate profit from selling hardware, the executive said, Apple's strategy is to hook aspirational buyers into its platforms and monetise through ecosystem sales-from hardware like Apple Watch and AirPods to services such as App Store, Apple Music and Apple TV.Data from Counterpoint Research showed the iPhone maker is putting pressure on the premium segment (above Rs 30,000) by narrowing the price gap with Android products, especially as Chinese competitors raise prices amid cost pressures."This is intensifying competition for Android brands, reflected in the iOS installed base growing 28% on-year in 2025 compared to just 2% growth for Android in the premium segment," said Prachir Singh, senior research analyst at Counterpoint Research.