Apple lovers throng stores in India, record festive sales ahead

People queued up at various Apple stores across the country -- from DLF CyberHub in Gurgaon to Palladium Mall at Lower Parel in Mumbai and UB City in Bengaluru -- to get their pre-ordered iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max that were made available at 6 p.m. on Friday.

New Delhi:Heralding a perfect Diwali for Apple, iPhone lovers on Friday thronged Apple Authorised Resellers and premium stories across India to grab new iPhones 11 -- a scene reminiscent of the arrival of Apple 6 and 7 series in the country in 2014 and 2015.

People queued up at various Apple stores across the country -- from DLF CyberHub in Gurgaon to Palladium Mall at Lower Parel in Mumbai and UB City in Bengaluru -- to get their pre-ordered iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max that were made available at 6 p.m. on Friday.

At some places like Pacific Mall in west Delhi, people queued up as early at 12 noon at the Apple Authorised Store to catch hold of their iPhones.

According to Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at Counterpoint Research, as per their channel checks, they are picking up a strong festive uptick for iPhone 11 series in India, especially the iPhone 11.

"Looks like Apple iPhone 11 pricing strategy is going down well for the consumers. Additionally, the offers on top of it from the financial/retail partners make it a great buy for users looking to upgrade," Pathak told IANS.

The iPhone 11 devices went out-of-stock in India at both Amazon India and Flipkart in just three days after the pre-booking was opened on September 20.

According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), Indians simply love Apple and iPhone continues to hold sway as the most-desired and coveted aspirational smartphone brand of choice.

"With the iPhone 11 and its higher-priced variants, what Apple has been able to achieve is to bring forth a wholesome value proposition for iPhone users seeking to upgrade: a device that delivers overwhelming well, not merely on the price front, but also on the features itself, whether it be the excellent camera capabilities or the terrific battery life," Ram told IANS.

iPhone 11 is also a significant upgrade considering the fact a good number of people were sitting on older generation iPhones in India.

"We won't be surprised if Apple hit its record festive season sales in India driven by iPhone 11 and XR," Pathak noted.

Amazon and Ingram Micro have tied-up with HDFC Bank and are offering cashback offers of up to Rs 7,000 on iPhone 11 Pro, and Rs 6,000 on iPhone 11. There is a cashback offer of Rs 4,000 on Apple Watch Series 5 as well.

Flipkart is offering cashback of up to Rs 7,000 on iPhone 11 Pro Max, Rs 6,000 on 11 Pro and 11. The new iPhones also have a six-month 'No Cost EMI' option available on Amazon.

Overall, said Pathak, the premium market is growing and new launches will further drive the growth of the premium market in the fourth quarter this year.