Tech Shockwaves: iPhone 17 Frenzy, Xbox Price Hike, Google Breakup Call & More (Sept 19–20, 2025)
Apple’s latest iPhone 17 series officially hit stores worldwide on September 19, drawing long queues from New York to Mumbai apple.com. In India, crowds lined up outside Apple’s new flagship stores as the base iPhone 17, new “iPhone Air,” and high-end 17 Pro/Max models sold out instantly livemint.com. Pre-orders in India were about 10% higher than last year’s, and analysts say Apple is poised to surpass 5 million iPhones sold in Q3 2025, marking the 15th straight record quarter for iPhone sales in the country livemint.com livemint.com. “Apple, with its aspirational brand, is successfully riding the premiumization trend in India,” observed Tarun Pathak of Counterpoint Research, noting first-week demand for the iPhone 17 series ran 19% higher than the iPhone 16 last year livemint.com. He credits Apple’s strategy – including larger base storage and zero-interest financing – with drawing more upgraders livemint.com. Globally, the iPhone 17 lineup introduces new chips and designs, and despite a $100 price increase on the Pro models facebook.com facebook.com, Apple appears to have no shortage of eager buyers.