Even though the iPhone 14 Pro has been available in India for exactly one week, it is still not possible to purchase one at MRP. Over and beyond the MRP, third-party retailers are charging outrageous prices. News18 Tech got in touch with retailers throughout the country to inquire about what prices customers can expect to pay for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Now, it is understood that the availability is partially marred with Apple’s supply issues, owing to which it is ramping up production, but we believe the whole stock shortage narrative is mostly fabricated to normalize retailers asking “premium" ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 22,000.
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Some retailers are going extreme lengths to sell officially allocated stock at gray market prices. “Despite pre-booking my iPhone 14 Pro Max 256GB at a local retailer in Jaipur and paying Rs 10,000 as advance, I did not receive my phone on launch as promised earlier. After having to wait for a couple of days, the shopkeeper demanded Rs 12,000 over MRP and did not let me use my HDFC Credit Card to avail the Rs 4,000 cashback." said Vidit Shekhawat, Freelance Photographer based in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Notably, some retailers have also established an online presence on social media platforms like Instagram. We observed listings that openly document them demanding premium prices.
We came across a listing from a Thane based store owner that says “14 Pro Max Indian Unit Sealed Hard Cash Deal" asking for Rs 1,62,000 for the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max and Rs 1,72,000 for the 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max in Deep Purple. This is roughly Rs 22,000 above the MRP. Retailers of similar scale have been allotted stock yet we see what is perhaps a narrative of fabricated shortages.
iPhone Pro models are roughly cheaper by Rs 40,000 in markets like US compared to India, ergo, despite Apple charging significantly more from Indian consumers, the hype surrounding Apple’s Premium iPhone hasn’t waned. One can’t deny that retailers are charging such premiums because customers are readily paying it without batting an eye.
Moreover, not only are shopkeepers importing iPhones from other countries like US and Dubai, they are evading tax by selling the units for significantly more and “only in cash." People do not comprehend this abnormality but bringing in iPhones from abroad and then selling them here, in India for more money is tax theft. Here are a few screenshots that we obtained while talking to a retailer based in Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
Ashish, a retailer in Delhi, said “We are getting enough stocks of the iPhone 14 Pro but the stocks for the iPhone 14 Pro Max are particularly short in supply from Apple. However, we’ve just got ample stock now and expect to solve the availability issues for our customers."
All things considered, it’s safe to say, akin to yesteryears, Apple has failed to meet demands this time round as well. In fact, Apple has asked Foxconn to increase iPhone 14 Pro production by minimizing vanilla iPhone production. Foxconn reportedly switched over its production lines for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
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According to data from investment bank JP Morgan, as reported by IANS, there is a high demand for the iPhone 14 Pro, which has an average delivery time of 35 days and a delivery time of 41 days for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The additional features of the iPhone 14 Pro models are most likely to blame.
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