Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Vinita Singh is the latest person to expose the price disparity for the same product on Android and iOS. Vinita, the co-founder of Horse Power, shared a couple of screenshots on LinkedIn to show how quick-commerce platforms charge iPhone users more than Android users for the same product. In the two pictures, she pointed at the stark price disparity for 500 grams of capsicum. In the screenshot from an Android device, the said item is listed for Rs 21. On the iPhone screenshot, however, the same product is selling for Rs 107. “Zepto is there any clarification for this? Both the screenshots were taken at the same time, this morning. But why such a difference, Zepto?” she asked.
Several users reacted to Vinita Singh’s LinkedIn post. “Not only in the iPhone but when it comes to the high budget [Android] phones like Samsung S24 Ultra, it’s also showing a high price like iPhone,” one wrote.
Another added, “Now I think we should all buy Android devices just to buy groceries, book cabs etc.”
One user mentioned, “Facing similar issues with almost all quick commerce platforms. This is something which is very concerning these days. We all have so much dependency on these applications. This disparity cannot have any explanation.”
“They are delivering it 1 min faster! I’m sure that’s their response! So you pay that extra for 1 min quicker delivery,” commented another.
“This is due to the high apple tax. If you do not do any transaction via iOS app then some percentage of the total amount goes to Apple directly,” claimed a person.
There has recently been increased scrutiny over the practice of discriminatory prices by online platforms. Only last week, the Consumer Protection Authority issued notices to cab aggregators Ola and Uber for allegedly charging their customers differently based on their mobile operating systems. This sparked a response from Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on X. “As a follow-up to the earlier observation of apparent differential pricing based on the different models of mobiles (iPhones/ Android) being used, the Department of Consumer Affairs through the CCPA has issued notices to major cab aggregators Ola and Uber, seeking their responses,” he stated.
