iPhone 13 top-selling phone in India in Q4 2022; Apple brick-and-mortar stores opening soon in India

iPhone 13 sales

Interestingly, this is the first time that an iPhone has topped the sales list in India, which is majorly cost-conscious. iPhone 13 was made available for as low as under Rs 50,000 during the sale period on Flipkart and Croma. This helped Apple go up top and boost its sales.  The five best-selling phones (market share) for the quarter were the Realme C11, OPPO A54, Samsung Galaxy M12, Redmi Note 10s, and Redmi 9A. All these phones are priced under Rs 15,000 category.

Apple stores in India

Separately, Apple has started hiring for its brick-and-mortar stores in India, as reported by The Financial Times. The recent job listings show new openings for 12 retail stores at various locations throughout the country. The positions include store leaders, senior managers, Genius Bar workers, and more.

Apple is looking to hire both full-time and part-time positions. However, there’s no indication of how many roles are available. According to the report, at least five employees located in Mumbai and New Delhi have posted on LinkedIn that they are hired for the upcoming stores, while Apple’s recruiting head, Renu Sevanthi has reiterated the news of hiring in a post on the network.

This falls in line with a report from July 2022 that said Apple is planning to open a large 22,000-square-foot store in Mumbai at the beginning of this year (2023). Additionally, the brand is also working on a 10,000 to 12,000-square-foot store in New Dehli, along with several other stores.

Apple currently has an online store available for customers in India, which started in 2020. CEO, Tim Cook already hinted at opening physical stores in the country during a shareholder meeting.  “I don’t want somebody else to run the brand for us,” Cook said. Besides opening physical stores, Apple is planning to expand its production in India. Apple shifted the iPhone 14 production from China to India in the weeks following the launch.