Apple has added Israel to its list of upcoming iPhone 7 launch countries today as it officially launches the device in India. The device will become available in the country on Oct. 20, as will the new Apple Watch Series 2 lineup.
Apple also confirmed upcoming iPhone 7 launches for a handful of African and Middle Eastern countries today, including: Jordan and Oman on October 15, and Maurice, Madagascar, Maroc, and Uganda on October 21st. In addition, Apple confirmed October 21st will also see the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 launch in Thailand.
The company confirmed the upcoming iPhone 7 launch dates on its website and through local third-party retailers.
The release today in India follows iPhone 7 launching in an initial 28 countries on September 16. Apple added an additional 30 countries for iPhone 7 and 20 more for the new Apple Watch Series 2 on September 23rd, and it previously confirmed launches for a handful more of countries is coming October 14. Those include Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro and Turkey.
While Apple still relies on third-party resellers in India— it’s not yet been able to make the deals necessary to open its own retail stores there— a recent report detailed how this year it notably partnered with online retailer Flipkart to help it better control demand and pricing for the iPhone 7 launch.
Flipkart started accepting preorders for the new phones ahead of the official launch today, which could help significantly cut down on the usual lines outside of stores. The long lines and Black Friday-like crowds that have usually accompanied iPhone launches at Apple retail stores were notably muted this year in the US, as the majority of the company’s initial stock was seemingly reserved for online orders and customers in its iPhone Upgrade Program. A report from Mashable notes that Indian retailers have also opted to start selling the device later than usual at 7PM local time rather than midnight in the country.
South Korea is expected to be next to get the iPhone 7 following Israel with recent local reports noting a launch is scheduled for October 21 in the country. A launch in South Korea has yet to be confirmed by Apple.
Shukriya India and everyone who turned out for Friday’s launch of iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/EyxVKgRH0F
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 8, 2016
