It is this time of the year when iPhone mania grips urban and semi-urban India. And this year, it’s even more intense as the fan following of iPhones has only grown.
Like millions of fans of Apple Inc. products across the globe, a small but growing number of Indians are eagerly waiting for the midnight of October 15 and early morning of October 16, 2015, when iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models will debut in India.
Sajid Khan, Country Manager, South African Airways, who already has two iPads, is determined to be among the first batch of Indians to grab the latest iPhone model when it arrives on the shop floor.
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“I have not pre-booked but will do it at the earliest. Supplies have increased and I am sure I will not be disappointed,” said Mr. Khan.
So far, more than a million iPhones across all models have been sold in India and this year it is estimated that a million phones of the latest models will be sold.
Apple Inc. will be launching two models in India with three variants each and the price range starts from Rs.62,000 to Rs.92,000.
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Like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, people who eagerly wait for the unveiling of new products from Apple, are gearing up to stand in queues at outlets, which will be delivering the phones starting early morning of October 16. “We have already seen lot of excitement among customers who have pre booked. We will ensure that all of them get the delivery instantly at the time of launch,” said Alok Gupta, CEO, The MobileStore, which will organise special midnight events at 22 of its stores across India.
“This year, we have given special attention to ensure that the built up excitement and expectation of customers is taken care of. We are working with partners to have enough supplies,” Mr. Gupta added. Over 5,000 iPhones have been pre-booked at The MobileStore and pre booking is on, he said.
Many customers have also pre booked the phones on ecommerce sites and will get it home delivered.
Over the years, the availability of iPhones has improved making it easier for people to buy one at the time of launch.
Unlike other mobile phone companies, which have multiple launches around the year, Apple Inc. follows the practice of launching phones once in a year.
“This once in a year phenomenon makes people to eagerly wait to for the new models and this adds to the excitement and aspiration levels,” said an analyst.
Besides this, telecom carriers like Airtel and Vodafone have announced special offers for their customers. Vodafone has offered its customers free Data and Voice benefits worth Rs.8,885 for those buying the new iPhone models.
Even modern retail outlets such as like Reliance Digital, Croma have also geared up to cater to the demand. All of them have midnight delivery events lined up. Reliance Digital has tied up with online delivery service Grofers for midnight delivery of iPhones on demand, said people familiar with the development.
EMI and exchange schemes are helping in driving up iPhone sales though the prices are relatively high.