'iPhone is no more competing with Samsung; it's competing with Royal Enfield': iPhone 18 prices fuel meme frenzy, 'kidney', bullet bike and gold comparison jokes

The new iPhone 18 pricing has given social media something more than another Apple-versus-Samsung debate. This time, users are comparing the phone with Royal Enfield motorcycles, gold, Bitcoin and even their own kidneys. The jokes started flying as people reacted to the price of the latest iPhone lineup, with some posts pointing out that a premium iPhone can now cost about as much as a new adventure motorcycle.

One viral comparison put the Royal Enfield Himalayan OG 440 at around ₹2.80 lakh on-road and the iPhone Duo 256GB at ₹2.99 lakh. The punchline was simple: for roughly the price of the phone, a buyer could get a brand-new motorcycle, fill its tank and still have some money left.

Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max price in India vs US, Canada, Singapore, Dubai: Where is the new iPhone cheapest?


"You could literally buy a brand-new adventure bike on-road, ride across India, and still have ₹30,000 left over," one social media post joked.

That comparison quickly turned into a broader meme: "iPhone is no longer competing with Samsung; it's competing with Royal Enfield."

From smartphone upgrade to 'two kidneys' joke

Apple's pricing has long been fertile ground for the internet's kidney jokes, but the latest prices have brought the old gag back. "To buy iPhone Duo you need two kidney," another post said, playing on the familiar internet joke that people have to sacrifice something valuable to afford a new iPhone.


Another meme took a slightly different approach, saying the phone was called "iPhone Duo" because users would need two jobs to afford it. The humour is exaggerated, of course. But it reflects a very real reaction to the increasingly expensive top-end smartphone market, particularly when buyers compare a phone's price with other large-ticket purchases.

'iPhone or Himalayan?' Social media finds a new comparison

The Royal Enfield comparison has probably been one of the most relatable jokes because the two products represent completely different kinds of spending.

A Himalayan can be taken on highway trips, off-road rides and long journeys. It is something that can potentially become part of a person's travel plans and daily life.

An expensive smartphone, meanwhile, fits into a pocket.

That contrast is exactly what makes the meme work.

"iPhone Duo is competing directly with RE Himalayan :)" one post said, while another simply declared that Apple's phone had moved beyond the traditional Samsung rivalry.

The joke also plays into a larger social media habit in India: comparing the price of expensive gadgets with cars, bikes, jewellery and other tangible purchases.

One meme turns iPhone into a 'crorepati' plan

Another viral post used the price difference between markets as the basis for a tongue-in-cheek investment strategy.





It claimed that someone could buy an iPhone in the US for around ₹1.9 lakh, sell it in India for ₹3 lakh and make about ₹1.09 lakh. The post then jokingly suggested repeating the exercise 100 times to become a crorepati.

The arithmetic is presented as a meme, not a serious wealth-building strategy.

Actual international resale involves taxes, currency conversion, purchase limits, availability, travel costs and other factors, so the idea of making a guaranteed profit repeatedly is obviously not as straightforward as the post suggests.

Also Read: iPhone 17 price dropped after iPhone 18 pro launch? Check new prices of older iPhones including iPhone 17 series and iPhone 16

Still, the meme shows how quickly iPhone prices can become a talking point beyond the technology world.

From Bajaj Finserv jokes to 'iPhone registry'

The internet did not stop with motorcycles and kidneys. One social media post joked that a Bajaj Finserv event would announce higher card limits, supposedly up to ₹5 lakh, specifically for iPhone buyers.

Another took the joke further, claiming that the government would introduce a new "iPhone registry" and allow government banks to offer five-year loans for the phone.

These are clearly satirical posts, but they underline the same point: users are treating the latest iPhone prices almost like the price of a major consumer purchase rather than a routine electronics upgrade.

And that is what makes the memes work.

iPhone vs Bitcoin: a different kind of price comparison

One of the more unusual memes compared the price of an early iPhone with Bitcoin.

The post showed the iPhone 5 at $649 in 2012, alongside Bitcoin at around $12. It then compared that with an iPhone 18 Ultra price of around $2,000 and Bitcoin at $78,265.

The intended joke was that one technology product loses value over time while the other became an enormously valuable asset.

The comparison is not really about whether consumers should buy Bitcoin instead of an iPhone. It is another example of social media using price history to make fun of the rising cost of flagship phones.

Pakistan memes take the joke even further

The meme frenzy has not been limited to India. A post listing iPhone 18 series prices in Pakistan claimed prices of ₨4,83,157 for the iPhone 18 Pro, ₨5,27,107 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and ₨8,78,707 for the iPhone Duo.

The same post listed higher prices for the 1TB and 2TB versions, with the 2TB iPhone Duo reaching ₨ 13,11,000.

That led to another obvious reaction from social media: at those prices, buying the phone starts to feel like a financial decision rather than simply choosing the next smartphone.

Why expensive iPhones always become meme material

Apple's iPhones occupy an unusual place in Indian pop culture. They are smartphones, but they are also status symbols, aspirational products and, increasingly, objects of comparison with other expensive purchases.

Whenever a new model arrives with a higher price tag, social media quickly converts that number into a joke.

Sometimes it is a kidney.


Sometimes it is a motorcycle.

Sometimes it is gold or Bitcoin.

This time, the Royal Enfield Himalayan has entered the conversation.

And perhaps the most memorable line from the latest meme cycle sums up the mood best:


"iPhone is no longer competing with Samsung; it's competing with Royal Enfield."

The joke may be exaggerated, but the comparison is likely to keep circulating as buyers work out whether the latest iPhone is worth the money.