At 6 AM on Friday, 18 September, a man from Punjab walked into Apple’s Noida store and walked out with two iPhone 18 Pro Max units, claiming the title of the country’s first buyer.
The iPhone 18 series debuted in India at the end of August, with sales kicking off the same day. The 256‑GB Pro starts at ₹1,64,900, while the 512‑GB variant is priced at ₹1,89,900; the Pro Max begins at ₹1,79,900 for 256 GB.
Apple staff at the DLF Mall store in Noida rang the opening bell and cheered as the first customers were handed their devices. The ceremony was followed by a long queue that stretched beyond the glass doors, with some patrons testing the phones before making a purchase.
The frenzy echoed in other NCR hubs, with Bengaluru and Mumbai recording crowds of over 1,000 people waiting at the Apple stores. A video posted to X at 6:30 AM showed a line of eager buyers outside the Mumbai outlet.
The Punjab man, wearing a white shirt and green turban, told reporters he had arrived in Noida specifically to secure the new model and that he had been standing in line since dawn. He expressed excitement, saying, “I came especially to get these devices.”
Apple announced that it would extend the launch to additional stores over the coming week, and a waiting list for the next batch of iPhone 18 Pro Max units has already begun.