Apple Adjusts iPhone 17 Inventory Amid Rising Festive Demand
As demand surges in critical markets—namely, the United States during the Thanksgiving period and China ahead of the Lunar New Year—Apple is expected to actively reallocate inventory to these regions.
Consequently, the entry-level iPhone 17, particularly the 256 GB and 512 GB variants, is witnessing significant shortages across both offline retail outlets and prominent e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon, as confirmed by a recent Moneycontrol retail inspection.
Apple has drastically slashed bank cashback incentives on its new iPhone 17 lineup—from ₹6,000 down to a mere ₹1,000—thereby rendering the latest models considerably more expensive for Indian consumers.
This alteration coincides with the severe scarcity of the iPhone 17 base model, which remains in limited supply across online and offline retail channels due to pressing global supply constraints.
The revised cashback structure will be enforced starting November 22, and changes to zero-cost EMI plans are also anticipated.
According to various sources, Apple’s decision to diminish cashback offerings is intricately linked to the persistent supply-chain issues that have engendered a worldwide demand-supply imbalance, including within India.
With festive demand intensifying in key markets, Apple is likely to prioritise inventory for regions where celebrations are imminent.
This has resulted in acute shortages of the base iPhone 17—especially the 256 GB and 512 GB versions—across retail channels and major online platforms, as noted by Moneycontrol’s comprehensive retail survey.
There was a surplus supply for the Diwali season despite the overarching global shortages due to supply-chain challenges.
Now, other markets are being prioritised as their festive seasons commence. However, we expect the supply situation to normalise by December, commented an insider familiar with the issue.
Apple’s Indian division has yet to respond to inquiries from Moneycontrol. The company’s website proclaims, “Apple reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions or modify, extend, or terminate the instant cashback offer at any moment without prior notice.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook has highlighted the ongoing constraints in the recent earnings call, stating, “iPhone set a revenue record for the September quarter at $49 billion, marking a 6% increase year-on-year, with growth observed in the majority of markets we monitor, despite the supply challenges affecting several iPhone 16 and 17 models due to heightened demand.” He noted that revenue declines in Greater China were partly a result of supply shortages.
“We are experiencing constraints with several iPhone 17 models. We are diligently working toward achieving a balance between supply and demand, but I cannot forecast when that will occur,” he elaborated.
Retailers have conveyed to Moneycontrol that while the iPhone 17 Pro models were readily available from launch through the Diwali season, the base model is now severely limited.
Units of the Made-in-India iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max only reached stores around Diwali, alleviating the supply for the higher-tier variants.
However, retailers state they have received only about 60% of the units allocated for last year’s iPhone 16 series during this period, despite a rise in domestic production.
“Our daily demand for the iPhone 17 base model ranges from 10 to 20 units, yet we are currently receiving only 6 to 7 units weekly, which is dismally low,” remarked a retailer from Delhi, requesting anonymity.
Source link: Cnbctv18.com.
