Apple could sell 1 million iPhones in India in December quarter for the first time: Counterpoint

While Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook called out a 'record' September quarter for the company in India, the December quarter may actually be a new and bigger record for the company in terms of sales, analysts estimate.

Counterpoint Research has projected that Apple will sell over a million iPhones in the country during the current festive quarter.

According to another research consultancy firm Forrester, Apple has already sold 4 lakh iPhones during the first week of this festive month through online platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, and its own online store.

Apple launched its online store in India on September 23.

"Our projections are also on those lines," Tarun Pathak, associate director at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC-TV18.

"We won't be surprised if Apple posts back-to-back record quarters in India. I won't be surprised if Apple crosses 1 million sales for the first time ever in a quarter in India," Pathak said.

Pathak said Apple sold 7 lakh phones in the country during the September quarter. Apple did not respond to queries.

Counterpoint's latest report shows that Apple pipped Chinese rival OnePlus in the premium smartphone segment (above Rs 30,000) in India in the September quarter, driven by strong demand for iPhone SE 2020 and the iPhone 11.

Counterpoint also expects strong demand for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro which became available for sale in India on Friday, though many have pointed out the high price tags in India for the phones compared to other markets.

Pathak said Apple's push to local manufacturing could help it bring down prices and boost sales, and said the move is already paying off for the tech giant, as was evident in the record sales during the September quarter.

"Older generation iPhones have started being assembled in India. The performance of the iPhone 11, etc. was partly due to the price cut in the past 1.5 years. In India, it is about affordability, and if Apple can make iPhone affordable, the sales will be very high," Pathak said.

Apple's contract manufacturing partners such as Foxconn and Wistron have been selected by the Indian government as part of its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.