# Apple iPhone Sales Drop by Up to 30 Percent During Festive Season in India

> Apple is witnessing a significant dip in iPhone sales during the Indian festive season, with demand falling by up to 30 percent. Rising prices and limited discounts are causing buyers to hold back on upgrades.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Business · **Published:** 2026-10-28 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/business/festive-season-me-apple-ke-iphone-ki-mang-me-bhari-giravat-52393 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Apple, iPhone, smartphone, festive season, market, sales

The ongoing festive season in the Indian market is turning out to be sluggish for Apple, with the tech giant witnessing a marked slowdown in demand for its premium smartphones. Around the time of Dussehra, iPhone sales plunged by as much as 30 percent, leaving expectations of a recovery during Diwali looking rather weak. Market analysts point out that soaring retail prices and a lack of lucrative promotional discounts are the primary drivers behind this sharp contraction in demand.

## Retailers Face Mounting Pressure Amid Stalled Inventory
This festive slowdown threatens to derail the growth trajectory of the company in India, which stands as the world's second-largest smartphone market. The steep 30 percent drop in sales during Dussehra has amplified concerns among offline retailers and authorized dealers alike. Anticipating heavy festive buying, local vendors had stocked up extensively in advance, leaving much of that inventory unsold on store shelves. If consumer demand fails to pick up pace through Diwali, annual shipments in India could tumble by double-digit percentages from the record 1.43 million units registered in 2025.

## Factors Keeping Buyers Away from New Upgrades
According to industry assessments, feedback gathered directly from retail channels indicates that consumer uptake has slowed down considerably. Limited promotional price cuts and steadily climbing device pricing have made shoppers hesitant to invest in fresh hardware. Furthermore, a growing tendency among users to hold on to their legacy models for longer periods is directly weighing down overall sales volumes.

## New Lineups Fail to Revive Sluggish Demand
This cooling of the retail environment has persisted despite the recent introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro series and the new iPhone Duo models. Market experts suggest that high retail pricing across both legacy devices and the newly debuted iPhone 18 Pro lineup has forced buyers to adopt a more cautious approach. Because older iPhone variants continue to deliver robust performance, consumers see little immediate incentive to rush into new purchases. Additionally, constrained supply limitations for certain specific models have further disrupted the delicate balance between market demand and product availability.

## What this means for you
The sudden drop in iPhone sales during the peak festive season carries direct financial and operational consequences for retail buyers and local merchants across the country.

- **Across India:** Consumers planning to purchase premium smartphones are finding far fewer aggressive discounts or promotional bundles than expected during this festive period. Consequently, many shoppers are choosing to delay upgrades or continue using their existing devices.
- **For Retailers:** Offline stores and authorized dealers are stuck with significant unsold inventory that was procured in anticipation of heavy festive demand. If consumer spending fails to rebound through Diwali, these local merchants face mounting cash flow constraints and financial pressure.

## Why this happened
The sharp contraction in iPhone demand during the festival period stems from a combination of rising hardware costs and a notable absence of aggressive promotional discounts.

- **Rising Retail Prices:** The consistent high pricing of premium smartphone lineups has made budget-conscious shoppers hesitant to commit to new purchases.
- **Limited Festive Discounts:** Major shopping holidays like Dussehra and Diwali saw far fewer compelling price cuts, exchange bonuses, or promotional offers compared to previous years.
- **Longevity of Older Models:** Previous-generation iPhone models continue to deliver robust day-to-day performance, reducing the urgency for consumers to upgrade prematurely.
- **Supply Constraints:** Restricted stock availability for certain high-demand models has disrupted the natural equilibrium between consumer interest and retail fulfillment.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. By how much have iPhone sales dropped during the festive season?
iPhone sales have experienced a steep decline of up to 30 percent around the Dussehra period.

### 2. What are the primary reasons cited for this sales slump?
Market analysts attribute the slowdown to increasing device prices and a lack of substantial promotional discounts.

### 3. Did the launch of new models help boost market demand?
The market has remained sluggish despite the introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro series and the new iPhone Duo.

### 4. How has this affected offline retailers and dealers?
Retailers who stocked up inventory ahead of the festival season are now stuck with unsold units in their shops.

### 5. What was Apple's total annual shipment in India in 2025?
Apple's annual shipment in India reached a record level of 14.3 million units in 2025.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._