WATCH: iPhone 18 Pro fever grips India amid 5 am queues, first buys and a 10-hour wait

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max officially went on sale across India on Friday, drawing eager crowds to Apple Stores in Noida, Bengaluru, and Maharashtra as buyers lined up to get their hands on the latest devices.

Describing the annual launch as a “festival,” a Bengaluru customer named Rahul, who has been purchasing iPhones since the iPhone 7, arrived at the store around 5 am.

"I've been here since around five o'clock in the morning. There was a long queue. People from Haryana, Delhi, and Mumbai are here just to buy the iPhone. I've been purchasing iPhones for a very long time. I remember my first iPhone was an iPhone 7. Since then, I've been continuously buying iPhones... I'm expecting a phone. But it's like a festival for me. iPhone launch is like a festival. Every year, I try to buy an iPhone,” he said.


Also read: Apple iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 sales start in India: Check prices, features and availability

In Noida, large crowds gathered outside the Apple Store at DLF Mall as sales began. One buyer who traveled all the way from Punjab lined up at 6 am and secured the first iPhone 18 Pro Max after making the earliest booking.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "I bought two iPhone 18 Pro Max. I came from Punjab and have been standing in the queue since 6 AM. Mine was the very first booking; I am the first one who has got the phone..."

Meanwhile, another customer in Bengaluru upgrading from an iPhone 13 shared that the new flagship was well worth it, noting he managed to collect his unit in just five minutes.

"...I was using the iPhone 13 before, so it is worth the upgrade. There are a lot of features, and I am feeling good about it, as I could collect it in only 5 minutes,” he remarked.

In Maharashtra, a buyer who waited for nearly half a day was thrilled to receive the store's very first unit.

"I’ve got the first phone. I’m really excited. I was trying to get the first one; I’d been waiting here for about 10 to 12 hours for this. Finally, the first phone is in my hands..." he said.

The new Pro lineup is available through Apple’s online store as well as its six physical retail outlets across India. To accommodate launch-day demand, physical Apple Stores opened early at 8 am and will remain open until 10 pm.

Also read: iPhone Duo at Rs 2,99,900: Why Apple’s first foldable costs more in India

Offered in black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy finish, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max feature a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture alongside updated Pro camera controls. Both models are powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip and incorporate a new vapour chamber designed to boost performance, AI capabilities, and battery endurance.

Price breakdown

In India, the iPhone 18 Pro is priced at Rs 1,64,900 for the 256GB variant, Rs 1,89,900 for the 512GB model, Rs 2,39,900 for the 1TB variant and Rs 3,14,900 for the 2TB version. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900 for the 256GB variant, while the 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models are priced at Rs 2,04,900, Rs 2,54,900 and Rs 3,29,900, respectively.