iPhone 11 a runaway hit in India as Apple sees 78% growth in iPhone sales despite coronavirus scare

Like the iPhone XR, its successor, the iPhone 11 has also become a runaway hit in India. Despite the looming coronavirus scare, that’s brought the whole industry to a grinding halt, Apple saw a 78 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in iPhone sales — on the back of the iPhone 11 — in India in the first quarter of 2020, according to data released by analysis firm Counterpoint Research.

Even though the sales numbers mostly represent a point in time when India was not under a nationwide lockdown, they’re very encouraging for Apple, considering how it’s largely seen as a brand for the affluent. Also, this goes to show that Apple’s move to flip the script and launch an “affordable” iPhone is paying rich dividends for Cupertino. The same analysis firm had pegged a 41 per cent YoY growth in iPhone shipments during the fourth quarter of 2019.