Apple’s latest flagship smartphones have officially gone on sale in India, and the launch has already attracted long queues at Apple Stores across major cities.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale on Friday, September 18, with customers turning up hours before stores opened in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other locations. At Apple’s Noida store, some buyers reportedly arrived as early as 6 a.m.
The launch comes just days after Apple unveiled its new iPhone generation, which also includes the company’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo.
For the moment, however, the Pro models are the devices actually available to customers.
In India, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹164,900, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at ₹179,900. The new models feature Apple’s A20 Pro processor, a 48-megapixel camera system and several hardware and software upgrades.
The strong crowds are particularly notable because Apple’s latest generation represents more of an evolution of the traditional iPhone design, while the much more dramatic Duo is still awaiting its launch.
The iPhone Duo is scheduled to become available later, with pre-orders beginning October 16 and sales starting October 23.
That means Apple is effectively extending its premium smartphone strategy across two directions.
The Pro models continue refining the familiar iPhone experience, while the Duo introduces an entirely new foldable form factor.
Early reports from India also suggest that initial demand for the iPhone 18 Pro models is higher than for their predecessors. Analysts and retailers have reported estimated demand increases of between 15 and 30 percent compared with the iPhone 17 Pro series, although these figures are early launch indicators rather than final sales numbers.
The launch is also important for Apple’s growing presence in India.
The country has become an increasingly important smartphone market for premium manufacturers, while Apple has expanded both its retail presence and local manufacturing operations.
Long queues at Apple Stores therefore represent more than launch-day excitement. They also demonstrate the continued appetite for premium smartphones in one of the world’s largest mobile markets.
For Apple, attention will now shift toward how the iPhone 18 Pro performs over the coming weeks — and whether interest in the foldable Duo will continue the momentum when it finally arrives.
