Sell family jewels for latest iPhone? In India, craze dials up debate
Por Biman Mukherji — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement India This Week in Asia Lifestyle & Culture Sell family jewels for latest iPhone? In India, craze dials up debate
The new iPhones might not make sense financially in India, but the desire for one is not always rational, analysts say
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Biman Mukherji Published: 8:44pm, 29 Sep 2026 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.
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