Hey India, don't queue up outside stores to buy an iPhone 7 tonight

The most desirable smartphone on the planet is all set to meet with the world’s fastest growing smartphone market in a few hours — but without customary rites this year. 

Apple will begin selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones in India tomorrow. Much like every year, enthusiasts and people with little patience are planning to queue up outside retail stores tonight. Except, they won’t be able to buy one at the stroke of midnight hour.

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Unlike last year, and several other years before that, Apple’s authorised partners and distributors won’t begin selling the iPhone at midnight tonight. Instead, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale only at 7pm on Oct. 7 (local time), multiple retail stores and an official with the company told Mashable India. 

There’s no explanation as to why Apple is robbing people from the experience of wasting the waning hours of their day in front of stores, but according to folks at iZenica retail chain, it sits well with Apple's "This is 7" campaign. 

Many of these stores won't even have the new inventory shipped to them until tomorrow afternoon, Chandigarh-based Harpreet Singh, who runs a popular shopping deals social media account told us. "Many people might not know about it," he added. Indeed.

Image: Sonam Joshi/Mashable

"I expect many people will line up for the new iPhones tonight," said Vadodara-based designer and Apple enthusiast Khamosh Pathak "Wait, that’s not happening this time?" he asked after learning about company’s plan.

That's not the only unusual thing Apple has done for the Indian market this year. In the run up to iPhone 7's launch in India, Apple late last month partnered with Flipkart, the country's largest e-commerce company. Days later, in a first, Flipkart began accepting pre-order for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple doesn't directly sell its products in India and instead relies on third-party retailers and distributors. Analysts say Apple's partnership with Flipkart will give it much better control over how its phones and other products are sold in India and how they are priced. Often times, in order to win customers and gain GMV (gross merchandise value), online retailers offer big discounts on iPhones. 

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale in India on Oct. 7. The iPhone 7 starts at Rs 60,000 ($900), whereas the base iPhone 7 Plus model is priced at Rs 72,000 ($1,080). India remains one of the most expensive places to buy an iPhone.