Argentinas Phone Market Price Cuts and the Impact on Consumers

Rebajas en los precios de celulares: una por una, qué marcas aplicaron descuentos y cuáles no

In Argentina, a recent drop in import tariffs for cell phones is starting to make waves among consumers. Brands like Motorola, Realme, Samsung, and Apple’s official resellers have already slashed prices on their cutting-edge models. With the government’s decision to cut import tariffs from 16% to 8% (with a full elimination scheduled for 2026) just before the latest legislative elections playing a pivotal role. There was also a second measure: reducing internal taxes from 19% to 9.5%, directly impacting final product prices.

The dual tax reduction—both import and internal—has significantly influenced smartphone retail prices after years of unaffordable pricing compared to other regions. This move also combats the gray market that illegally imports such devices.

Realme led the pack by announcing significant discounts on some of its best-selling models following the new tax framework and boosted by the latest Hot Sale event. The price adjustments apply across various phone families; for instance, Realme Note 50 received a 25% discount, dropping from $199,999 to $149,999.

Regarding Motorola’s offerings, they surprised consumers with the launch of their new premium smartphones Razr 60 Ultra and Edge 60 Pro—a direct competition against Samsung’s Galaxy S25 line—with a generous 20% price reduction thanks to reduced tariffs.

Samsung and Apple decided to absorb these tax cuts directly into their existing stock as they await future imports impacted by the new tax rates. Alejandro Goldín from maximstore noted that besides losing margin due to reduced taxes internally levied on products like iPhone 16 Pro Max (which dropped around 17%), efforts are made to provide better prices for consumers.

Samsung followed suit with an average price drop of about 7.5%, reflecting their commitment to aligning with government measures despite having imported goods under previous tax structures.

In contrast, newer entrants in the Argentine market like Nubia, Infinix, Oppo, and Tecno have not yet announced discounts on their current models amidst attempts to break Motorola and Samsung’s duopoly which holds over 80% market share.

As brands adjust pricing strategies post-tax reductions in Argentina’s competitive smartphone landscape continue evolving with more options becoming accessible at lower price points while maintaining high-quality features for tech-savvy consumers seeking value without compromise.