A lot of people in the country, and indeed across the world, are all about boycotting Made-in-China products. But that’s not what this discussion is about. This discussion is about ensuring that when you finally get your hands on the upcoming mobile, it will be an investment that is totally worth your hard-earned money (or totally worth the hard-earned money of whoever gifted it to you).
Of course, many people today are opting for made in India mobile phones for somewhat patriotic reasons. They want to support the Make In India campaign or just plain want to support anything home-grown. They figure that even if the brand is not Indian, if the brand is manufacturing in India, it makes sense to patronize them.
There are others who want better than the best deals on their smartphones, and might therefore choose to pick up their smartphones at prices even lower than the lowest prices available in the country. They manage this by travelling or by sourcing mobile phones from their relatives, who bring them their favourite smartphone models. The other alternative is purchasing phones from third parties. They may offer existing models or even upcoming mobiles, the latter being even more exciting: everyone likes to be the first to have something, and that doesn’t change with age.
However, there is a huge risk in buying phones manufactured elsewhere because as a buyer, you are forgoing your warranty. Especially considering the fact that smartphones are heavy investments, you don’t want to be making this mistake.
Let’s take a closer look. So you’ve bought your shiny new gadget, opened up the box, taken it out, powered it up and it does not switch on. Or it switches on but glitches. What will you do now? The manufacturer’s warranty, that is applicable on defective pieces, is only applicable in the country of purchase. Of course, you can eliminate this part of the problem by checking the product before you leave the store, but there are other warranty issues in the making.
A replacement warranty is one that covers any issues arising during the warranty period. If your device starts giving you trouble, you could actually get a new one if you’re still within your warranty period. But not if you got it in another country. Even if the brand has service centres here, you will not be able to get a free repair or a free replacement, because once again, the replacement warranty can only be availed in the country of purchase.
The mobile phone will need to be unlocked to be used in another country and this negates any dealer warranty that may be applicable. A dealer warranty is one where the dealership will offer assistance in getting the phone repaired.
So basically, by buying a phone manufactured elsewhere, you’re signing up for a dead end, should your phone start giving trouble. As you can imagine, it is far more advisable to look for a good deal, wait for a good deal or simply adjust the specs that you’re looking for. Whatever it is, it clearly makes more sense to opt for a made-in-India phone than to sign up for a no-warranty situation.
You may not even have to cut back in the specs you’re looking for in your upcoming mobile. You might just be able to work with whatever budget or saved up funds you have available and still buy a made-in-India phone. Have you ever considered No Cost EMI? It lets you pay for gadgets of your choice over several easy instalments and with zero down payment. In other words, pay for your phone while you are already enjoying its amazing features.
