iPhone X craze hits fever pitch in India: Black-market hoarders sell Apple phone for Rs 1.68 lakh on eBay

Apple witnessed a tepid response to the iPhone 8 (& iPhone 8 Plus) across the world, the obvious reason being that devices were not radically different in terms of the design and the internal hardware were incremental in nature.

But, the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone Ten) has intrigued many, especially with the innovative FaceID, which is said to be more accurate and secure compared to TouchID. It is attracting not only Apple fans but also owners of other branded phones.

Also read: Android flagship Google Pixel 2 goes on sale in India: All you need to know 

In India, the demand has reached an all-time high as all major metros in the country witnessed hordes of people lining up at Apple stores to get their hands on the iPhone X.

But, all stores — both brick-and-mortar and online ecommerce sites like Flipkart and Airtel — have sold out their quota of iPhone X units due to low stock.

As per reports, Indian retailers received just 25 percent bookings from distributors. While some retailers are awaiting response from Apple to recommence the pre-order service, others including Reliance Jio — in a bid to gauge the demand — are asking consumers to register their interest on their site.

To cash in on the craze and low supply, some black-market sellers are buying iPhone X units in bulk in Southeast Asian regions, where the Apple device prices are lower than in India. [Check the detailed price list below.]

They are then looking to make a killing by selling these at a premium in India.

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs, acting on tip-off, has arrested passenger identified as Bhavesh Ravjibhai Virani at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and seized 11 Apple iPhone X units.

Official global price details of Apple iPhone X and iPhone 8 series:

Virani, was travelling from Hong Kong to India on Saturday. The 11 mobile phones are said to be worth Rs 10,57,388 in the market, ANI reported.

In a related development, black-marketers are selling the iPhone X 64GB base model, which comes with MRP of Rs 89,000, for exorbitant prices — sometimes up to Rs 1.68 lakh — on eBay.

Since the iPhone X has international warranty, some might be compelled to buy it, but we urge our readers not to buy them as they might be stolen goods and can be bricked remotely by Apple (or a network carrier) if the company fails to get the devices to the rightful owner.

Earlier this week, a UPS truck parked in front of an Apple Store in San Francisco was robbed of 313 iPhone X units worth $370,000.

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Key specifications of Apple iPhone X: