Apple has delivered an unexpected setback to customers by sharply reducing the cashback offered on the new iPhone 17 series. Earlier, buyers could get benefits of up to ₹6,000, but the cashback has now been slashed by ₹5,000. This means customers will receive only ₹1,000 cashback going forward. Without increasing the retail price, Apple has effectively made the iPhone 17 series more expensive by reducing the savings consumers previously enjoyed.

Why has Apple reduced the cashback?
The timing of this move coincides with a global supply shortage. The base model of the iPhone 17 has been consistently out of stock due to extremely high demand and limited availability across offline retailers and major e-commerce platforms. Sources told Moneycontrol that the new cashback structure will take effect from Saturday, November 22, 2025, alongside changes to Apple’s zero-cost EMI scheme.

According to insiders, Apple’s decision is directly linked to supply-chain challenges that have created a demand-supply mismatch worldwide, including in India. With major shopping events like Thanksgiving in the US and the upcoming Lunar New Year in China boosting demand, Apple is expected to prioritize shipping more stock to these markets.

Stock shortages worsen in India
A Moneycontrol retail audit revealed that the iPhone 17 256GB and 512GB variants are in short supply across offline stores as well as platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon. A Delhi-based retailer, speaking anonymously, said:
“Our daily demand for the base model of the iPhone 17 is around 10–20 units, but we’re receiving only 6–7 units per week, which is far too low.”