Long queues were seen in front of Apple stores in Mumbai and Delhi as hundreds lined up to buy the much-anticipated iPhone 15 series that went on sale in India on Friday.
Besides the newest edition of the flagship phone series (iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max), Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 were also announced last week at Apple's "Wonderlust" event.
The iPhone 15 series is available at their stores and online too. It was available for pre-order from September 15 and the company will begin shipping them from Friday. The wait times in India for Apple's latest 15 Pro and Pro Max models go up to late October.
The frenzy was evident at the Apple stores in BKC, Mumbai, and Saket, New Delhi, from early morning. "It was a great experience. I was in the queue since 4 am and then purchased the phone. I have always had top phones with me. I have an iPhone 13 Pro Max and an iPhone 14 Pro Max. After the 15 series was announced, I wanted to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max - that too before everyone else," Rahul, the first customer today at the Apple Store at Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, told ANI.
Meanwhile, Apple could gain a larger share of India's smartphone sales, with the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models accounting for more of its shipments, said reports.
Data from market researcher Counterpoint said the company was projected to account for 7% of all smartphone sales in the country from July to December, up from 5% in the first half of 2023, reported Reuters.
Apple aims to make India its next big market and has been ramping up manufacturing operations in the country.
The 15 Pro and Pro Max models will account for 25% of overall iPhone 15 shipments in India in the fourth quarter, a 4% increase from what the previous generation top-range models accounted for a year earlier, the Counterpoint report added.
Apple is the largest player in the segment for smartphones priced over $800 in India followed by Samsung at 31%. Apple opened two flagship stores in the country earlier this year.
China
The buzz was evident in Apple's flagship store in Shanghai too despite the government introducing curbs on iPhone use by government staff and stiff competition from domestic manufacturer Huawei.
However, easing the concerns, there was still a demand for the latest in the series with pre-orders stretching into November, according to Reuters. The premium iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max sold out in just one minute on Alibaba's Tmall e-commerce site.
