Apple Intelligence Explained: How AI Features Transformed the iPhone Experience
- Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max officially went on sale in India on September 18, 2026, drawing long queues and massive crowds outside flagship retail...
- Similar scenes played out in Mumbai at the Jio World Drive store and at the Apple premium reseller store in Bengaluru’s Mall of Asia.
- According to News24 Online, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 for the 256GB storage tier.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max officially went on sale in India on September 18, 2026, drawing long queues and massive crowds outside flagship retail stores and premium resellers across major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and Bengaluru, according to regional reporting. India is part of the initial global wave receiving the new devices, with pre-orders having opened on September 12 ahead of the 8 AM release.
Launch Day Crowds and Store Queues Across India
Similar scenes played out in Mumbai at the Jio World Drive store and at the Apple premium reseller store in Bengaluru’s Mall of Asia. Some enthusiasts traveled significant distances to secure launch-day inventory.
Pricing and Storage Configurations for Pro Models
According to News24 Online, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 for the 256GB storage tier. Higher capacity variants are priced at Rs 1,89,900 for 512GB, Rs 2,39,900 for 1TB, and Rs 3,14,900 for the 2TB version. Meanwhile, the larger iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900 for the 256GB base model, scaling up to Rs 3,29,900 for the top-tier 2TB configuration. Walk-in availability was limited at several locations, with stores prioritizing customers who completed pre-orders ahead of launch day.
Hardware Upgrades and Burgundy Color Popularity
Early buyers identified upgraded internal components as a primary motivator for upgrading. One customer interviewed by the Press Trust of India stated, There is an upgrade in the camera and the processor that is why I am upgrading my phone. I have an iPhone 17 Pro; now I am buying an iPhone 18 Pro.
News24 Online notes that both devices run on the new A20 Pro chip and feature a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera equipped with a variable aperture. The hardware also introduces a smaller Dynamic Island and a next-generation vapour chamber, with the Pro Max variant boasting the largest battery-life improvement delivered by Apple on an iPhone to date.
On the aesthetic front, the newly introduced Burgundy finish—a dark red color option available alongside Black, Silver, and Glacier—emerged as a top pick for early purchasers, featuring prominently in Apple’s retail and promotional imagery for the Indian market.
