Consumers in India are rushing to buy iPhone 17 models amid expectations that Apple may raise prices, leading to shortages across retail stores and online platforms, The Economic Times reported. The development comes after Apple recently increased prices of MacBooks, iPads and smart home devices because of rising memory and component costs, while keeping iPhone prices unchanged.
The report said retailers were encouraging customers to purchase the iPhone 17 now, warning that prices could increase later. Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, told ET that the firm’s weekly market checks after Apple’s recent price increases showed a noticeable pull-forward in demand for the iPhone 17, with consumers making more enquiries about stock availability and the timing of any potential price increase.
Retailers said fresh supplies of the iPhone 17, particularly the base model, have remained limited over the past 10 days, adding to buying momentum.
According to the report, many customers are paying the listed price without negotiating discounts. Some buyers who turned to Flipkart and Amazon were unable to find their preferred colour or storage variant because of limited availability.
Market trackers also pointed to stronger iPhone sales during the April-June quarter, supported by expectations that Apple may not introduce a new base iPhone model this year as it shifts focus towards its first foldable iPhone. An analyst estimated that iPhone shipments crossed 3.5 million units during the quarter, compared with 3.1 million units a year earlier. Shipments were also higher than in the January-March quarter.
Promotional sales on Flipkart and Amazon also contributed to higher shipments during the period.
The inventory situation comes after Apple’s outgoing chief executive Tim Cook indicated that price increases had become difficult to avoid as the consumer electronics industry faced rising component costs and tighter availability of memory and storage modules. While Apple has withdrawn some affordability schemes for iPhones, it has so far kept their prices unchanged, even as supply chain analysts said the cost of building an iPhone has risen sharply due to a surge in memory prices.
