iPhone 18 Pro fever grips India: Man sells gold for wife, Punjab buyer comes to Noida for fiancée's gift
PTC Web Desk: The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max officially went on sale in India on Friday. Apple stores across major cities witnessed long queues, early-morning crowds and buyers determined to get their hands on the latest models.
Apple had opened pre-orders for the new Pro models on September 12, with retail availability beginning September 18.
From Delhi and Noida to Mumbai and Bengaluru, customers arrived hours before stores opened. At the Apple Store in Noida's DLF Mall of India, some buyers were already waiting from the early morning, while similar scenes were reported at Apple's outlets in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
But amid the launch-day excitement, some buyer stories stood out.
Delhi man says he sold gold to buy iPhone for wife
One of the most striking accounts came from a Delhi buyer waiting outside the Apple Store in Noida. He said he had come to purchase an iPhone 18 Pro for his wife, who wanted the new model in the Burgundy colour. The man also revealed that he had sold gold to arrange the money for the phone.
Explaining his decision, he said he did not have the money earlier but wanted to make the purchase while he could afford it.
His wife, he said, was not earlier an iPhone user and he wanted the new phone to be her upgrade.
Punjab man travels to Noida for fiancée's gift
Another buyer travelled from Punjab to Noida with a friend to purchase an iPhone 18 Pro as a gift for his fiancée ahead of their wedding.
Gurdita Singh and his friend reached the store around 6 am and waited in the queue. Singh also bought an iPhone 18 Pro Max for himself.
According to his account, the two phones together cost him more than Rs 3.5 lakh. He planned to return to Punjab after making the purchase, with a train scheduled later that morning.
Bengaluru buyer calls iPhone launch a 'festival'
In Bengaluru, the excitement began well before the store opened. A buyer said he had reached the Apple Store at around 5 am and found a long queue already forming. He said he had been buying iPhones since the iPhone 7 and described the annual launch as a "festival".
The enthusiasm was not limited to individual buyers. Couples, students, employees and business owners were also among those waiting to purchase the new models.
Couples buy two phones despite higher prices
At the Noida store, a woman arrived with her husband to purchase two iPhone 18 Pro units. Asked about the higher price compared with the previous generation, she said people who specifically want an iPhone are prepared to pay more for it.
Another buyer from Haryana said he was not particularly concerned about further price increases and believed he would manage the expense.
Some buyers had also planned ahead for Apple's upcoming products. One couple said a friend in Hong Kong would bring an iPhone Duo for them when returning to India in October.
Buyers wait for hours across Indian cities
At Apple's store in Saket, New Delhi, customers gathered before the opening and were greeted with applause when sales began. In Mumbai, buyers turned up in large numbers at the Bandra Kurla Complex store, with one customer saying he had waited around 10 to 12 hours to be among the first to receive the phone.
Similar crowds were reported at the Apple Store in Bengaluru's Phoenix Mall of Asia, while customers also queued at the Noida outlet.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 in India, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900 for the 256GB variants.
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- PTC NEWS
