Tens of thousands of people thronged Apple stores in India this month to snap up the newest iPhone models – the 18 Pro and Pro Max – but the frenzy has kicked off public debate in the country about affordability and consumer debt.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at 164,900 rupees (US$1,700) and goes up to 179,000 rupees, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at 179,900 rupees and maxes out at 329,900 rupees.
Apple also unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first-ever folding smartphone, essentially setting a new price benchmark with the top-end variant at 449,000 rupees (US$4,700), breaching the psychological threshold of 400,000 rupees for the first time in the Indian market.
The excitement among consumers – with some standing in line for hours – underscored how India, the world’s second largest smartphone market by volume, has emerged as one of the fastest growing sales sources for Apple.