iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air Shortage in India Leads to Order Delays

Apple introduced the iPhone 17 series and the iPhone Air at its ‘Awe Dropping' event last week. The new handsets were made available for pre-order on September 12, with shipping beginning on September 19. However, not everyone will receive the iPhone 17 series or iPhone Air orders on the same date. According to Apple's website, the delivery estimates have slipped beyond the promised timeline, while retailers in India are also reportedly facing a stock shortage.

iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air Shortage

According to a Moneycontrol report, retailers have warned of sparse supplies of the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. Citing industry sources, the report attributed this shortage to Apple's expanding retail network in India, which effectively reduces the per-store allocation of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The initial production of a new iPhone series in India initially focuses on the base models, as per the report. The increase in production capacity for the Pro and Pro Max iPhone models only happens a few weeks after their debut.

In a shipment of around 500 units, only around 50 units are reportedly the Pro iPhone models. The number is even smaller for Pro Max, which is about 10. As per the report, the higher-capacity versions, including 512GB and 1TB variants, are extremely scarce. Thus, customers may reportedly have to turn to Apple's online store or its retail channels to purchase them. However, even then, a delay might still occur.

iPhone 17 delivery estimates on Apple's India website

Apple's website shows delivery estimates slipping beyond the initially promised timeline of September 19. The vanilla iPhone 17, in a White colourway with 256GB of storage, will start shipping between September 27 and October 6 in a metropolitan city like Delhi. This is also applicable to other colour options and storage configurations of the handset.

Gadgets 360 also noticed a similar delay in the shipping timeline for the iPhone Air. Even the base variant, available in a Light Gold colourway, along with other shades, is also expected to ship between September 27 and October 6.

iPhone 17 Pro Max delivery estimates on Apple's India website

Meanwhile, orders of the top-end iPhone 17 Pro Max could be delayed even further. As per Apple's website, customers who order the handset in a 256GB configuration will receive it between October 6 and October 11.

Interestingly, the base configurations of all the aforementioned handsets are sold out at Apple Saket — the company's first and only official retail store in Delhi.