iPhone Duo shortage: Retailers demand Rs 1 lakh extra in India

Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, is facing a supply crunch in India, with some retailers demanding up to Rs 1 lakh over its official price of Rs 2,99,900. India Today Tech spoke to more than 17 retailers who said limited availability of iPhone Duo retail units had prompted them to charge a premium from buyers looking to get their hands on the device as soon as possible without waiting for fresh stock.Several store owners from Delhi, Ghaziabad as well as Noida said they had received only around 10 units and were charging between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1 lakh extra over the actual price. This means buyers could end up paying nearly Rs 4 lakh for the foldable iPhone, that if they go for the base variant which comes with 256GB storage. Those unwilling to pay the additional amount may have to wait for supplies to improve.The situation has also caught the attention of the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), which represents more than 1.5 lakh mainline mobile retailers across India. The association told India Today Tech that demand for the new iPhone lineup, including the flagship Duo, was strong but initial supplies remained severely limited.According to AIMRA, some prominent retailers had expected 100 units across Duo variants but received only 5 to 7. This has left retailers unable to commit to delivery dates or accept pre-bookings with confidence. AIMRA said buyers were willing to pay between Rs 25,000 and Rs 1 lakh above the maximum retail price to secure a device. However, the association said some retailers were refusing to charge loyal customers extra. “Retailers remain resolute in billing strictly at MRP for their 10-20-year loyal customers, refusing to compromise long-standing relationships," it said.India Today Tech had reported a similar situation when the cosmic orange colour variant of the iPhone 17 Pro Max faced limited availability, with some retailers demanding additional money from buyers.iPhone Duo demand strong, but Samsung remains market leader Despite its steep price, early interest in Apple's foldable phone appears strong. Tarun Pathak of Counterpoint Research told India Today Tech that initial pre-booking numbers were around three times the level seen at the time of the announcement."Pricing is definitely on the higher side because of import duty and forex, which could lead to some users buying it from abroad,” Pathak said, adding that early checks indicated strong interest in the iPhone Duo.He does not expect Apple's entry to dislodge Samsung from its position as the foldable smartphone market leader though. Instead, Pathak believes the new iPhone could help expand the category and encourage developers to improve apps for foldable screens."We expect foldables to cross 1 million sales annually next year in India," he said, adding that demand for the iPhone Duo was much higher than supply.Interestingly, the supply crunch is not limited to India. In the US, some iPhone Duo units have been resold on eBay at a premium of up to $1,800. According to a video posted on YouTube channel Max Tech, a 2TB Night Sky variant listed by Apple at $3,199 was marked as sold for $5,000, while a 1TB model priced at $2,599 was marked as sold for $4,400. Apple's India and US online stores have been showing shipping estimates extending into 2027 within minutes of pre-orders opening. In fact, Apple's India website limits customers to two iPhone Duo units per order.- Ends