iPhone 18 Pro Sale Begins in India: Buyers Queue for Hours Outside Apple Stores
Sales of Apple's newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max began in India, with long queues reported outside the company's retail outlets across the country. The two Pro models are the first of the new series to go on sale.
The devices are available through Apple's online store and six retail outlets in India. Buyers began gathering well before opening hours, with several saying they had waited through the night.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy finish. Both models feature a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, along with new Pro camera controls. They run on Apple's A20 Pro chip and include a new vapour chamber, which the company says is aimed at improving performance, AI features and battery life.
In Maharashtra, a customer who bought the first handset at his store described his excitement. He said he had waited about 10 to 12 hours to be among the first in line.
In Bengaluru, Rahul, who said he has been buying iPhones since the iPhone 7, arrived at around 5 am. He described the annual launch as a festival. "There was a long queue. People from Haryana, Delhi and Mumbai are here just to buy the iPhone," he said. "I remember my first iPhone was an iPhone 7. Since then, I've been continuously buying iPhones. It's like a festival for me. Every year, I try to buy an iPhone."
A buyer in Noida said he had been waiting since 6 am and collected the first iPhone 18 Pro Max at the store. He said he was upgrading from an iPhone 13 and considered the purchase worthwhile given the new features.
Pricing
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 for the 256GB model. The 512GB, 1TB and 2TB variants are priced at Rs 1,89,900, Rs 2,39,900 and Rs 3,14,900 respectively.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900 for the 256GB variant, with the 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions priced at Rs 2,04,900, Rs 2,54,900 and Rs 3,29,900 respectively. The prices mark an increase over the previous Pro models.
Other launches
Apple also introduced AirPods 5, which come with Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design. The company says the new earbuds can cut up to 50 per cent more outside noise than AirPods 4 with ANC.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 feature the Health Sensing System and the S11 chip. According to Apple, the watches offer heart rate sensing, more frequent heart rate and heart rate variability readings, and a new readiness score.
Foldable iPhone Duo
The company's most significant addition is the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It has a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display and a 5.4-inch outer display. Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone yet when fully opened.
Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo in India will open at 5:30 pm IST on October 16, with the foldable going on sale from October 23. It is priced at Rs 2,99,900 for the base model in India, and will be offered in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage variants in two colour options: Star White and Night Sky.
