The first batch of Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 17 series sold out within hours of its launch on Friday in the city.

Unlike the frenzy seen in Mumbai — where a scuffle broke out at a Bandra Kurla Complex store — and Bengaluru, Calcutta experienced strong but more orderly demand. Retailers reported long queues both in the morning and evening as eager buyers lined up outside authorised resellers.

Calcutta does not yet have an official Apple store. Instead, loyal iPhone users gathered early at authorised resellers across the city, many opening their shutters by 8am with customers already waiting.

The new iPhone 17 lineup includes the standard iPhone 17, the slimmer iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Prices range from around ₹83,000 to over ₹2,29,000.

City Centre 2

“The Pro and Pro Max models saw the highest demand. At most locations, the first stock sold out within half an hour of opening, largely due to pre-bookings. The next shipment is expected in a few days. The other two models lasted longer,” said Udit Dokania, managing director of iTech, the largest Apple reseller in eastern India with 33 stores and five service centres, eight of which are in Calcutta.

Among the buyers was Subarna Mukherjee, 33, who purchased an iPhone 17 Pro in deep blue from a reseller in Acropolis Mall, Kasba. “I was using an iPhone 13 before. There’s no comparison — the iPhone beats any other phone in design, privacy, and value for money,” said Mukherjee, who works at a private bank.

All four iPhone 17 models feature the Centre Stage front camera for next-level selfies, 48MP Fusion camera systems, the latest-generation chips, and all-day battery life.

Powered by iOS 26 — Apple’s newest software release with a Liquid Glass design and improved Apple Intelligence features — the series promises a more personalised, powerful, and intelligent user experience.

The launch came at an opportune moment as the city prepares for its biggest festival season. The iPhone 17 Pro Max in cosmic orange emerged as one of the most sought-after variants.

Acropolis Mall

Soumyajeet Das, 30, who works in biotech, proudly showed off his new iPhone 17 Pro, also bought from Acropolis Mall. “I had the iPhone 14 from 2022. This new model has a larger screen, better AI capabilities, and of course, the colour is stunning,” he said.

Another early buyer, Debayan Biswas, 23, from Garia, left home at 7.20am and lined up outside a reseller at South City Mall. By 8.30am, he had his new iPhone 17 Pro. “I tried pre-booking a silver model on September 12, but it wasn’t available, so I settled for the deep blue version,” said Biswas, who works in tech services.

Shravan Koroo, a senior official at the Apple reseller managing the South City store, said, “The craze is driven by the new features — enhanced camera, improved battery life, faster charging, and the fresh colour options.”