Cracker of a debut for new iPhone; 35k sold

Apple launched its iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus models in India to an enthusiastic response. But many buyers who had bought these phones hoping to sell them at a premium couldn't do so as there were sufficient supplies at Apple stores.

Apple sold 35,000 units of the two phones within 12 hours of their launch - 10,000 units more than the 25,000 phones that were pre-booked. Final figures for the day's sales will be released on Saturday.

The iPhone 6, which has a 4.7 inch screen, comes in three variants - 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB. These are priced at ₹ 53,500, ₹ 62,500 and ₹ 71,500, respectively. The corresponding variants of iPhone 6 Plus, which has a 5.5 inch screen, cost ₹ 62,500, ₹ 71,500 and ₹ 80,500, respectively.

Apple stores across the country, which had buyers queuing up outside hours before the midnight launch on Thursday, wore a festive look and had streams of visitors through the day. A manager at Ingram Micro, an Apple's reseller, said: "We had a mix of visitors; some were serious buyers while others just wanted to touch and feel the phone."

The black market, however, was tepid. A 64 GB iPhone 6 Plus was put up for sale on Quikr.com for ₹ 80,000. HT contacted the seller and negotiated the price down to ₹ 75,000. The seller wanted to close the deal within an hour. Four hours later, the phone was still available.

However, a few people did buy these phones at a premium. "I don't have the time to stand in queue. So, I bought a 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus from a guy on Olx.com for `85,000," said Namit Motwani, a young businessman who lives in Greater Kailash.