The festive season is usually the best time of the year for iPhone sales in India. Apple even launched Rangoli-engraved AirPods 5 and festive offers to cash in on it this year. However, things have not gone to plan, as a new report says that iPhone sales have dropped in India.
iPhone Sales Fell by up to 30% in India, According to Retailers
As per a Moneycontrol report, IDC says that iPhone sales around Dussehra fell by up to 30% and they expect Diwali demand to stay weak too. They blame the drop on cautious spending, higher prices and fewer promotional offers.
The slowdown comes even though Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the new iPhone Duo in September 2026. Analysts now expect iPhone shipments in India to fall by double digits this year.
That’s a big change for Apple, which shipped a record 14.3 million iPhones in India in 2025. India is also the world’s second-largest smartphone market, so the slowdown could hurt Apple’s growth.
Retailer feedback points to softer sell-through, which is consistent with the price increases and the lack of festive offers. We expect festive demand across the market to be subdued this year.
— Upasana Joshi, analyst at IDC
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Why Are iPhone Sales Falling in India?
While the ongoing RAM crisis is the obvious suspect, retailers and analysts say there’s no single reason. As per them, the following are the causes of the decline in iPhone demand:
- Higher prices: Apple has raised prices on older models and the iPhone 18 Pro series. Demand for the iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 has dropped after these price hikes.
- Fewer offers: Some financing and discount schemes have been withdrawn, so festive deals aren’t as tempting as last year.
- No standard iPhone 18: Apple didn’t launch a base iPhone 18 in September, as it’s now expected in early 2027. “With the base iPhone 18 expected in early 2027, some demand could shift from Q4 into Q1,” said Omdia analyst Sanyam Chaurasia.
- Longer replacement cycles: Older iPhones still work well, so people are holding on to them longer.
- Model shortages: The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are in short supply.
Counterpoint Research analyst Shubham Nimkar added that higher prices are shrinking the number of people who can afford an iPhone, so many buyers are delaying their purchases. The slowdown is also hurting retailers.
Many retailers and distributors stocked up ahead of the festive season, expecting strong sales. With fewer sales than expected, they are now sitting on extra stock. Currency fluctuations and import problems have added to the pressure.
Some traders are even holding back sales to avoid losses on stock bought at bad exchange rates. But retailers say weak demand is still the main concern.
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iPhone Duo Scarcity Has Not Helped Either
The iPhone Duo story is quite different. Demand is high, but there just aren’t enough units. Retailers estimate that only 6,000 to 7,000 saleable iPhone Duo units were initially supplied in India. Some retailers say they received just five to seven units, when they were expecting around 100 units.
As a result, some customers are willing to pay a premium of Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh to get one. Apple also recently limited iPhone Duo purchases to two per customer on its Indian online store. The iPhone Duo starts at Rs 2,99,900 in India, compared with $1,999 (approx. Rs 1.91 lakh) before taxes in the US.
Retailers say this price gap could encourage parallel imports. The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), which represents more than 1.5 lakh mobile retailers, says demo units of the iPhone Duo reached stores across the country, but saleable stock stayed limited despite strong launch-day interest.
Moreover, AIMRA has alleged that distributors are forcing retailers to buy older iPhone models to secure stock of the new devices. It has asked Apple India to conduct mystery audits. Apple did not respond to Moneycontrol’s queries.
Globally, some iPhone Duo users have reported cracks on the inner screen. Apple has acknowledged a problem affecting the inner display on a small number of units and is asking affected customers to contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Retailers say no such cases have been reported in India so far. However, with so few units sold here, it’s too early to say whether Indian units are affected.
That said, Apple isn’t the only one struggling. Festive e-commerce sales fell by 7–10% in the first four days of the sales, according to Datum Intelligence.
Globally, smartphone sales have hit a 14-year low as well. Now, only time will tell how it all pans out for Apple this Diwali.
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