New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- New Delhi: Late on 10 October, Amazon said sales of premium Android phones had risen 70% year-on-year in the first two days of its Great Indian Festival sale. But the upbeat sales figure masked a rare reversal of the deep discounts typically seen during festive sales.

Apple's iPhone 17 is selling on Flipkart for Rs.86,999, above its September 2025 launch price of Rs.82,900. While below its revised maximum retail price of Rs.99,900, the current price offers little of the steep festive discounting that Indian smartphone buyers had come to expect until 2025.

The trend extends beyond iPhones. Discounts on smartphones, laptops and other electronics remain limited, a sharp departure from the deep festive-season price cut...