If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect” time to jump into the Apple ecosystem, Croma just opened a window that’s hard to ignore. As part of their Cromtastic December Sale, the iPhone 16 (128GB) is currently being marketed at an effective price of ₹40,990.1
The thing is, you aren’t just walking in and handing over forty thousand bucks. It’s a game of “stacking.” You take the base price, layer on a bank discount, then throw in a trade-in, and suddenly the math starts to look very different. Or nothing. Let’s be real, you need a decent phone to trade in to hit that headline number. Those too.
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The Math: How the ₹40,990 Deal Works
Croma is using a four-tier discount system to get to that price. Here’s the breakdown:
| Step | Offer Type | Value | New Total |
| Start | List Price (MRP) | — | ₹69,900 |
| 1 | Instant Croma Discount | -₹3,910 | ₹65,990 |
| 2 | Bank Cashback (ICICI/SBI) | -₹3,000 | ₹62,990 |
| 3 | Exchange Value (Old Phone) | Up to -₹16,000 | ₹46,990 |
| 4 | Exchange Bonus | -₹6,000 | ₹40,990 |
The “Kicker”: iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 17
And here’s the kicker: the iPhone 17 is already out, but it starts at ₹82,900 for the 256GB base model.2 So, you’re looking at a ₹42,000 difference between the two.
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Why get the 16? It has the A18 chip, which means it supports Apple Intelligence (the AI features everyone is talking about).3 It’s also got the “Camera Control” button and the Action Button.
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What are you missing? The iPhone 17 finally brought the 120Hz ProMotion display to the non-Pro models, which makes the 16’s 60Hz screen feel a bit “old school” if you’re coming from a high-end Android.4
Should You Pull the Trigger?
It’s an ongoing situation where Croma’s sale runs until January 4, 2026.5 If your current phone is literally falling apart, ₹40k for a phone that will get updates until 2030 is a steal. But if you’re trading in something like an iPhone 14, you might find the “effective” price doesn’t drop quite that low—the ₹16,000 exchange value is a “up to” figure, usually reserved for an iPhone 15 in mint condition.
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