From selling gold to spending ₹3.5 lakh: iPhone 18 Pro fever hits India as fans queue up on sale day

The iPhone 18 series has officially gone on sale today in India, but for some buyers, getting their hands on Apple’s latest phone is clearly more than just another upgrade. From arriving hours before the stores opened to travelling across states, customers turned the launch into an event of its own. At Apple stores in Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida and Bengaluru, crowds gathered to be among the first buyers.

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Some came prepared with everything they knew about the new iPhones, while others appeared less concerned about the specifications or features. Yet, that didn't stop them from waiting for hours, travelling long distances or spending lakhs on the latest iPhone. At the Apple Store in Noida, one Delhi man even said he sold gold to buy an iPhone 18 Pro for his wife, while another buyer from Punjab spent more than ₹3.5 lakh on two iPhones.

₹3.5 Lakh, gold resale and a 6 AM queue: Inside India’s iPhone 18 Pro craze

At the Apple Store in Noida, the queue had already formed well before the store opened at 8 am. Among the buyers was a Delhi man who had come to buy an iPhone 18 Pro for his wife. He said she specifically wanted the phone in Burgundy colour.

“Main ye wife ke liye lene aaya hun,” he said, explaining that he was buying the iPhone 18 Pro for his wife. She was not an iPhone user, but he wanted to give her the new phone as an upgrade. When asked why he purchased the phone now and not before, he said, “Aaj paisa hai, pehle nahi tha, aage hoga nahi hoga, bas aaj main jee rahe hai.” Then came the bigger reveal. The Delhi man admitted that he had sold gold to arrange the money for the phone. “Gold bechke hi toh ye lene aaye hai. (I sold gold to buy the iPhone 18 Pro),” he said. 

Must Read: iPhone 18 Pro goes on sale: Buyers queue overnight as Apple opens its doors

The gold sale was not the only unusual part of the Noida launch. Gurdita Singh had travelled all the way from Punjab with his friend to buy an iPhone 18 Pro for his fiancée ahead of his wedding. His friend explained the reason behind the purchase: “He is getting married soon and he is buying the iPhone 18 Pro as a gift for his fiancée.” 

But Gurdita was not leaving the store with just one iPhone. He also bought an iPhone 18 Pro Max for himself, taking his total spending on the two phones to more than ₹3.5 lakh. Both of them were waiting outside the store since 6 am, and after completing the purchase, Gurdita planned to head back to Punjab, with his train scheduled for 11 am. 

12 hours from Surat to Mumbai for one iPhone

In Mumbai, the iPhone launch brought its own share of unusual stories. The first iPhone buyer at Apple’s BKC store had travelled all the way from Surat, Gujarat. He waited near the store for around 12 hours to get his hands on the iPhone 18 Pro.

He said he was worried about whether he would actually get the first phone, but after finally making the purchase, he felt the long wait had been worth it.

At Apple’s Saket store in New Delhi, another customer arrived hoping to get the new iPhone 18 Pro first. But, like the Noida buyer, he admitted that he did not know much about its specifications or features. His reason was simple - he said he just upgrades his iPhone every year. For him, getting the latest model came first, while the features could be discovered later. He said he would find out what the new iPhone could do once he started using it.

And perhaps that sums up the launch frenzy best. For some buyers, the specifications, features or even the price can take a back seat when there is a new iPhone to be bought. From waiting outside stores before sunrise to travelling across states and, in one case, selling gold to fund the purchase, the iPhone 18 launch has already produced some memorable buyer stories.