Israeli Supermarkets Join "Budget" iPhone Sales Frenzy

The Israeli supermarket chain 'Yohananov', known for its budget segment, has announced a sale of 18th generation iPhones, following similar promotions by competitors 'Victory', 'Shufersal', 'Osher Ad', and 'Rami Levy Stock'. These sales are primarily aimed at generating buzz and attracting customers, rather than offering a full retail experience. The iPhones are released in small batches at prices lower than the market rate. A key characteristic of these devices is that they are often models intended for the American market, exclusively supporting eSIM virtual SIM cards and lacking physical SIM card slots. Typically, purchases are limited to one phone per customer. The warranty is usually provided by third-party services for one year, not by Apple. 'Victory' is selling the 18 Pro for 4400 shekels, the 17 for 2600 shekels, the 17 Pro for 4000 shekels, and the 17 Pro Max for 4400 shekels. 'Osher Ad' is offering the 18 Pro exclusively for 4490 shekels. 'Rami Levy Stock' is currently selling only 17th generation iPhones: the base model for 2490 shekels, the Pro for 3790 shekels, and the Pro Max for 4150 shekels. 'Yohananov' is offering all three 17th generation models: the base for 3000 shekels, the 17 Pro for 4500 shekels, and the 17 Pro Max for 5000 shekels. 'Yohananov' also announced upcoming sales of the 18 Pro Max for 5250 shekels. In contrast, 'Shufersal' sells iPhones through the official Israeli importer, not via parallel import. These devices are configured for international and European use, including a physical SIM card slot and appropriate radio frequency bands. They also come with a warranty from Apple's official importer in Israel. Consequently, 'Shufersal' prices are higher, with the 18 Pro model costing 5200 shekels. It is important to note that purchasing these iPhones often requires checking specific branch availability and times, as these promotional batches are limited and typically draw significant queues due to high demand among Israelis for Apple devices, even with the associated restrictions.