Retailers Mark Up Prices of iPhone 15 Pro Max By Up To Rs 20,000 Due To High Demand

At least the expensive price tag of Rs 1.60 lakh won’t stop Indian buyers from getting the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The craze to be among the first to use the iPhone 15 Pro Max has put a strain on initial stocks – which are simply not enough to meet the unexpected demand. If you want to buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max in India right now, don’t be surprised if the retailer charges at least 20,000 rupees more.

The iPhone 15 Pro models are being sold in India at a gray market premium price that exceeds the MRP, ReturnByte Tech has learnt. These models – launched just three days ago on September 22 – are in high demand across India, especially the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with most offline and online retailers running out of stock for immediate delivery.

ReturnByte Tech contacted several offline retailers in New Delhi and Tier 2 cities like Jaipur and found that they are selling the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max above the MRP.

iPhone 15 Pro Max: Made of natural titanium. But the pricing? Not natural.

Retailers are selling the high-end iPhone Pro Max 256GB Natural Titanium variant for around Rs 20,000 over Rs 1,59,900. While the premium for the smaller iPhone 15 Pro isn’t as exorbitant as the Pro Max, retailers are asking between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 depending on the color and storage capacity you want.

A retailer in Karol Bagh, New Delhi offered Rs 1,51,000 for the iPhone 15 Pro 256GB in Titanium Blue, which is exactly Rs 6,000 more than the Rs 1,44,900.

We expected the situation to improve in cities like Jaipur, but to our surprise, a dealer based in Ganpati Plaza, MI Road openly listed the iPhone 15 Pro 256GB in Blue Titanium for Rs 8,000 above the MRP.

The international stocks of the iPhone 15 Pro are sold at prices that are almost equivalent to the Indian MRP. We also found an online listing from a popular online seller in New Delhi that was selling both internationally sourced models and Indian stock for up to Rs 28,000 above the MRP.

Another retailer in Thane, Maharashtra openly advertised the sale of the iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB variant for Rs 2,32,000 – Rs 32,000 above the MRP.

It is important to note that the iPhone 15 Pro models in India are significantly more expensive than in the US and UAE. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max costs around Rs 1,00,000 in the US, while in India it costs Rs 1,59,900, which translates to almost Rs 60,000. However, offline retailers import inventory from abroad and sell it at almost the same price as their Indian counterparts, effectively negating the cost difference, while trying to evade taxes through so-called ‘cash deals’.

“The iPhone 15 Pro costs Rs 1,44,900, but we will charge Rs 5,000 over it.”

A dealer in Karol Bagh told us, “iPhone 15 Pro costs Rs 1,44,900 but we charge Rs 5,000 for it.” When we asked why, he replied: “The models are sold at a high price now. there is no stock anywhere, so even if you buy accessories from us, you will still have to pay 5000 rubles.” He added, “If we talk about Pro Max Natural, it will be at least Rs 20,000 more than the MRP.”

The same situation happened in 2022, when the iPhone 14 Pro models were launched

Last year we reported a similar situation with the iPhone 14 Pro models. However, the biggest difference this year is that Foxconn’s supply chain in China has not seen any COVID shortages or reported issues. Still, we’re witnessing a shortage of iPhone 15 Pro models, especially in major metropolitan areas where demand for a leaky edge is high.

On September 22, ReturnByte Tech reported on the live launch of the iPhone 15 series from the official Apple Store in Saket. We found that users were primarily buying the iPhone 15 Pro models, which showed less interest in the standard models, which still meant more interest in the Pro models.

On the other hand, not all dealers are involved in this malpractice and we can say this after also visiting an official third party dealer in Jaipur to get a first hand experience of how it works. We noticed that there was no premium charged for the stock, and they didn’t push overpriced accessories like tempered glass or cases with the devices. In fact, the standard iPhone 15 models were readily available, as well as some color options for the smaller iPhone 15 Pro.