iPhone 18 hits India: Buyers spend lakhs as festive electronics prices climb

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have hit the stores in India on September 18. What followed were hours-long queues and massive crowds outside the Apple stores as people rushed to get their hands on the newly launched device. But amid the launch-day excitement, some buyers said they were making significant financial commitments to purchase the new phones. People travelled to different cities, and some even sold gold just to buy the phone.

According to an India Today Tech report, a Delhi man said that he sold gold to buy an iPhone 18 Pro for his wife at the Apple Store in DLF Mall of India in Noida. The man was among those waiting outside the store before it opened at 8 am. He said he wanted to surprise his wife with the phone. Another man at the store had travelled from Punjab to buy an iPhone 18 Pro Max for himself and an iPhone 18 Pro for his fiancée. They had been waiting outside the store since 6 am and reportedly spent over Rs 3.5 lakh on the two phones.

According to the Apple website, the latest models can be purchased through their online store and six retail outlets across the country.

Festive shopping faces a price test

The launch comes as India’s wider consumer-electronics market enters the festive shopping season with prices under pressure. Rising memory and component costs have pushed up prices of smartphones, laptops and other electronic goods, while analysts expect higher prices to weigh on upgrade volumes.

According to a Moneycontrol report, Amazon India has also acknowledged some softness in electronics volumes. The company has signalled that rising prices are encouraging consumers to hold on to existing devices for longer. The company expects electronics sales to grow in value during the festive period, even as longer upgrade cycles affect volumes. Amazon is therefore focusing on affordability through exchange offers, EMI and no-cost EMI options during the festive sales season.