Earlier this month, Apple unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in India, sparking unprecedented demand for its latest flagship smartphones. However, this surge in demand has led to some surprising market dynamics, with reports indicating that these cutting-edge devices are commanding substantial premiums above their official retail prices.
Reports suggest that the fervor for the latest iPhone 15 models has been remarkable, not only in India but also in several other global markets. Consequently, the delivery schedules for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been pushed back to November in select regions, underscoring the immense popularity of these devices.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max officially hit the shelves on September 22, both in India and across the world. However, as of now, these sought-after smartphones are conspicuously absent from the inventories of authorized retailers throughout India. News 18 has reported that these devices are being sold at significant premiums, surpassing their original retail prices.
A survey of retailers in major cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, and Thane conducted by the publication revealed astonishing markups. For instance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max Natural Titanium variant with 256GB of storage was found to be listed at Rs. 20,000 above its MRP of Rs. 1,59,900. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Pro Titanium Blue model with 256GB of internal storage was priced at Rs. 1,51,000—Rs. 6,000 more than Apple’s official pricing.
In Jaipur, the iPhone 15 Pro was reportedly being sold for Rs. 8,000 more than its retail price in India. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, originally priced at Rs. 1,99,900 for the 1TB variant, was said to be available for a staggering Rs. 2,32,000 through a retailer in Thane, Maharashtra.
Earlier this month, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shed light on the production challenges Apple was facing with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, particularly in light of the “robust” demand for the device. Kuo noted that these production issues were more pronounced for the iPhone 15 Pro Max than for the other models in the iPhone 15 series.
The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max made their global debut on September 22, following their initial unveiling at Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ event on September 12.