iPhone 18 Pro goes on sale in India, online booking skips the store queues

The iPhone 18 Pro, which fans had been waiting for, has finally gone on sale in India. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has also hit the market alongside it. Official sales began yesterday, with large crowds seen outside stores.

In Mumbai's BKC and Delhi's Saket areas, people had started queuing up from Thursday night, eager to be among the first to get their hands on the new phone. However, buyers who do not want to join the crowds have the option of booking online instead.

Apple said that customers who pre-booked on September 12 had their phones delivered yesterday. Buyers can now book the phone directly on the Apple India website, or check online whether it is available at their nearest store, avoiding the need to stand in line for hours and instead having the phone delivered home.

India earlier had only two Apple stores, but the company has since opened new ones, making the phone available through authorised stores in more cities. Stores are now located in BKC and Borivali in Mumbai, Saket and Noida in Delhi-NCR, Koregaon Park in Pune, and Hebbal in Bengaluru, where customers can see and try the phone before buying.

On pricing, the phone is expensive and beyond the budget of the average buyer. The base 256GB variant of the iPhone 18 Pro is priced at Rs 1,64,900, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900. The top-end 2TB model costs Rs 3,14,900, more than Rs 3 lakh. The company has offered some discounts, including bank offers, no-cost EMI and an exchange bonus for trading in an old phone.

Apple has introduced several new features this time. The phones use the world's first 2-nanometre A20 Pro chip, making them extremely fast and smooth for gaming or video editing. They run the new iOS 27, which includes AI features designed to make tasks easier. The camera is also pro-level, with a 48-megapixel fusion camera setup for cinema-quality photos and videos. The company claims the battery lasts up to 45 hours, meaning up to two days without needing to charge. The phone is available in three colours: Black Silver, Silver Glacier and Burgundy, all with a premium look.

Those looking to buy the new iPhone 18 Pro may find booking online easier and more convenient than joining the crowds at stores.