Several customers waited for hours outside stores to get their hands on the latest models, with some sharing personal stories about what they did to afford Apple's newest smartphones.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were unveiled at an event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, earlier this month. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900 in India, while prices rise depending on storage and model, with the top-end iPhone 18 Pro Max reaching ₹2,99,900.
Delhi man sells gold to buy iPhone 18 Pro for wife
One of the buyers waiting outside the Apple Store at DLF Mall of India in Noida was a Delhi man who claimed he had sold gold to buy an iPhone 18 Pro for his wife.
Speaking to India Today, the man said he wanted to gift the phone to his wife, who is not an iPhone user. She had asked him to buy the device in the Burgundy colour.
"I am buying the iPhone 18 Pro for my wife," he said.
Explaining how he arranged the money, the man said, "I didn't have that money, now I do, In the coming time, whether we will have money or not, we’ll see."
He later revealed, "I sold gold to buy the iPhone 18 Pro."
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro is available in Burgundy, Glacier, Silver and Black, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB.
Punjab man spends over ₹3.5 lakh on two iPhones
Another buyer, Gurdita Singh from Punjab, travelled to Noida to purchase an iPhone 18 Pro as a gift for his fiancée ahead of their marriage.
Singh also purchased an iPhone 18 Pro Max for himself, taking his total spending on the two devices to more than ₹3.5 lakh, according to India Today.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at ₹1,79,900 in India, with the final price depending on the storage configuration.
Long queues across Indian cities
The launch triggered significant interest among buyers, with long queues reported outside Apple stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities.
At the DLF Mall of India in Noida, customers began lining up hours before the store opened. Some had also taken leave from work to purchase the latest iPhone.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max went on sale in India on September 18, alongside their launch in more than 65 countries and regions.