Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US tech giant Apple is set to achieve its highest festive-sales count in India, with analysts forecasting a 28 per cent year-on-year sales increase in 2025 owing to the early success of the iPhone 17 series. Counterpoint research forecasted record growth in sales owing to an aggressive n-1 strategy during the festive season, and the 17 series performed better than the 16 series.
Analysts said that the first week of sales for the iPhone 17 series is 19 per cent higher than the iPhone 16 series. “Apple is effectively capitalising on the premiumisation trend in India,” said Research Director at Counterpoint Research, Tarun Pathak. Pro and Pro Max models are experiencing the highest demands with stockouts reported across various channels, and the Cosmic Orange variant being particularly popular, Pathak said. Upgrading the base variant to 256GB, along with cashback offers and up to 24-month EMIs, enhances its value significantly, he said. The new iPhone 17 Air, despite a higher price, is gaining stronger traction than last year’s Plus model, Pathak added.
Further, the initial demand is outpacing supply, and securing inventory, especially for the 17 Pro models, is a challenge for retailers. Prabhu Ram, VP, Industry Research Group (IRG), CMR, said that Apple is on track to cross 4.5 million shipments this festive quarter, with the new iPhone Air poised to generate fresh traction. He also said that pre-bookings for the iPhone 17 line are surpassing last year’s figures, positioning Apple for continued momentum through Diwali.
