Buying iPhones in bulk from Apple in India just got more difficult. The company's online store now stops customers from ordering more than two iPhones at a time, and the rule covers every model in its current line-up.
Not Just the Foldable
The cap has appeared just ahead of October 23, when the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, reaches Indian stores. Pre-orders for the device opened in India on October 16. The restriction isn't limited to the new foldable, though. When checked on Apple's online store, it also applied to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as well as earlier models like the iPhone 17.
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How the Cap Works
What Apple counts is the number of iPhones in the cart as a whole, not how many of one particular model a buyer picks. So a shopper could buy a pair of identical phones, or mix two different models in a single order. Someone could, for instance, check out with two iPhone Duo units, or one iPhone Duo and one iPhone 18 Pro. According to Apple's message, the limit applies per customer.
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Attempting to put a third iPhone in the cart, whichever model it is, results in an on-screen warning. The website tells customers: āA maximum of 2 iPhone can be purchased per customer. Please adjust the total quantity of iPhone in your order before checking out.ā
Impact on Buyers
The rule could be inconvenient for anyone hoping to pick up several iPhones in one go, whether for relatives or to give as presents. Such buyers will have to work within the two-phone limit when ordering from Apple directly. It is also unclear how long the restriction will stay in place.
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Comes Amid Supply Concerns
Apple has not said why it has introduced the cap. It arrives as reports point to limited stock of the iPhone Duo in India. Apple is reportedly expecting only about 6,000 units of the foldable in the country in the first week, and grey-market sellers are said to be asking up to Rs 50,000 more than its official price of Rs 2,99,900. Retailers often limit purchases when stock is short so that more customers get a chance to buy, but Apple hasn't confirmed this is its reasoning.
Online Store Only, For Now
So far, the cap has only been spotted on Apple's online store. Whether Apple's physical stores in India and its authorised resellers are applying the same rule remains unclear.
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