New Delhi/Mumbai: On Friday, thousands of Apple fans in India experienced an incredibly uplifting moment when they began receiving the ‘Make in India’ iPhone 16 at Apple BKC in Mumbai, Apple Saket in New Delhi, and Apple — as well as at other Apple authorised resellers stores—amid massive queues (for some after an overnight wait) that started in the early morning hours.
At the Apple Delhi and Mumbai retail stores, hundreds of people who had pre-ordered the new 16 series—iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max—waited in long lines for their turns to own their devices since early morning.
In fact, at Apple BKC, customers from various cities, such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Madhya Pradesh, Nagpur, Indore, Bengaluru, Goa, Nashik, and Nanded, reached Mumbai and camped overnight outside the store to make purchases.
“I came from Surat specifically to buy iPhone 16 Pro. I come every year for the launch. Our entire family uses iPhones,” an iPhone customer told IANS, saying he anxiously waited for this day after pre-booking the iPhones on Apple Online.
Several users wanted their iPhones in the highly demanded ‘Desert Titanium’ colour.
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“I have come to buy an iPhone 16 Pro for my entire family. Since the first-generation iPhone, we are used to iPhones and cannot switch to any other device,” another user said, holding several iPhone boxes in his hands.
Several buyers were also seen with iPhone 16 Pro Max boxes, confirming the premiumisation trend now maturing in the country.
For the unversed, premiumisation is the consumer’s tendency to choose higher-quality, more expensive products over lower-cost alternatives. This tendency is motivated by a desire for higher quality, greater functionality, and more enjoyable overall experiences.
In Delhi, lengthy lines have also been seen at Apple Saket since early morning, with retail staff cheering the first buyers of the new iPhones and Watch Series 10.
A user who came to the Apple Store at 4 am told IANS that he had been an iPhone user for five years, “and it’s always been my dream to upgrade whenever a new phone is released.”
“I’m happy to be doing that now. I’ve heard that this phone has some new features, including an improved zoom and camera, and I’m especially excited about that,” he added.
The company reported an increase in pre-orders for its ‘Make in India’ iPhone 16 in the country. The new devices are expected to break existing export records.
According to continuous industry channel checks, iPhone 16 Pro models are also gaining momentum among purchasers due to their more strategic and affordable pricing when compared to the 15 series.
Analysts anticipate a solid mix of upgrades for Apple this year in the country. The momentum is strong because of the government’s emphasis on local manufacturing. The iPhone 16 models are being manufactured/assembled in India and will be available simultaneously in the global marketplace.
Apple’s latest iPhone 16 is being manufactured and released globally from Indian manufacturing facilities. Driven by the production-linked incentive (PLI) plan, the tech giant exported almost $5 billion in iPhones from India between April and August of FY25.
According to industry data, this represents a more than 50% increase over the same period in the first five months of FY24.
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