'Life is a race': iPhone 18 sale sparks hilarious meme fest, from 3 Idiots to Baghban, as long queues form outside Apple stores across India

The launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in India has triggered two things at once: long queues outside Apple stores and a flood of memes online. From customers arriving before sunrise to people spending the night outside stores, images and videos of the crowds in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru quickly spread across social media on Friday. The scenes were soon turned into jokes, with users borrowing references from popular Bollywood films, including 3 Idiots and Baghban, to comment on India's fascination with the latest iPhone.

One of the references was the famous "Life is a race" dialogue from 3 Idiots. The joke was used to describe people rushing to be among the first buyers of Apple's latest Pro models.



Another set of posts drew a humorous comparison between different kinds of queues in India. One viral post joked that people across the country may not mind standing in line after all, with the difference being what they are waiting for.

iPhone 18 queues become social media content

The rush was visible at Apple's retail locations in several cities. At Select Citywalk in Saket, Delhi, customers gathered early in the morning for the new iPhones. A similar scene unfolded at Jio World Drive in Mumbai, while Bengaluru also saw customers waiting outside the Apple Store before opening time.


Videos shared online claimed that some buyers had started arriving as early as 4 am. For some customers, however, the wait began much earlier.

A buyer in Mumbai said he had travelled from Nashik and reached the store around 10 pm the previous night. He said he had already been using an iPhone 17 Pro Max and planned to upgrade to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. In Bengaluru, another customer said he arrived around 5 am and found buyers who had travelled from places including Haryana, Delhi and Mumbai.


For these customers, the launch appeared to be less about simply replacing a phone and more about being part of Apple's annual launch-day experience.

'iPhone launch is like a festival'

Some buyers openly described the annual iPhone launch as an event they look forward to every year. One Bengaluru customer said he had been buying iPhones for several years, starting with the iPhone 7. He said he tries to purchase a new iPhone every year and compared the launch-day experience to a festival.


Others had already pre-booked their devices but still chose to stand in the queue because they wanted to be among the first people to receive the new model. A customer waiting for a 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max said he was currently using an iPhone 17 Pro and wanted to see what changes Apple had introduced in the new model.

There were also tech enthusiasts in the queues. One buyer who runs a YouTube channel said he had purchased the iPhone 17 Pro previously and had returned for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, particularly interested in improvements to the camera and overall quality.

From 'mehngai' jokes to ₹1 lakh-plus phone memes

The queues also became a backdrop for a broader social media debate about India's spending habits. Several posts juxtaposed complaints about inflation, taxes and salaries with pictures of customers waiting for an expensive smartphone.


Some users pointed to the price of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and joked about paying GST while waiting outside Apple stores. Others questioned how consumers were able to spend large sums on smartphones despite frequently discussing rising living costs.

The conversation, however, was largely driven by humour rather than a serious assessment of household finances. Some posts also brought up EMI purchases, suggesting that the upfront price of a premium iPhone does not necessarily reflect how the device is being financed.

'Poor in ration queue, rich in iPhone queue'

One user jokes contrasted a ration queue with an iPhone queue, essentially saying that Indians are familiar with standing in lines, but the purpose of the queue changes depending on who is waiting. The joke was accompanied by laughing emojis and pictures of the crowds outside Apple stores.


The 3 Idiots and Baghban references added another layer to the meme fest, turning ordinary launch-day photographs into familiar Bollywood scenes. What began as a product launch therefore quickly became something larger on social media: a running commentary on consumer culture, aspiration and the willingness of some customers to spend hours waiting for a new gadget.

Apple stores open early for iPhone 18 buyers

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale in India on Friday through Apple's online store and its six retail outlets in the country. The physical stores opened earlier than their regular schedules, at 8 am, and were set to remain open until 10 pm on launch day.

For Apple fans who had spent the night or arrived before sunrise, the early opening meant they did not have to wait much longer. For social media users, meanwhile, the queues provided plenty of material for memes.

And with the first buyers walking out with their new iPhones, the next phase of the annual iPhone ritual had already begun: unboxing videos, camera tests, comparisons with older models and, inevitably, another round of memes.