Long queues formed early on Friday, Sep 18, as Apple began selling the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its stores in Delhi’s Select Citywalk, Mumbai’s BKC outlet and Bengaluru. Sales started at 8 am, and customers arrived well before the opening time, some as early as 5:30 am.
Many shoppers had pre‑booked their devices and came in allotted slots; one Delhi buyer who has used iPhones since 2009 said he booked two phones for a 9 am slot. A buyer from Gujarat travelled from his home after visiting Lalbaugcha Raja, paid roughly Rs 1.64 lakh for the iPhone 18 Pro and highlighted the new camera shutter, smaller Dynamic Island, A20 processor and Cherry Red colour. Another customer from Surat spent six hours in the queue after a five‑to‑six‑hour journey to purchase both the Pro and Pro Max models.
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The launch also attracted celebrity attention, with actor Vicky Kaushal spotted at the BKC store. Several purchasers emphasized the emotional value of being first on the day, with one saying the experience mattered as much as the device, and another from Karnataka noting he upgraded only after five years because the camera and AI improvements justified the cost. A buyer in Delhi announced he would buy five to seven iPhone 18 Pro Max units for personal use.
