Actor Sonu Sood Criticizes Long Queues and EMIs for iPhone 18

The Mumbai Apple BKC launch drew buyers from beyond Maharashtra, including customers who travelled from neighbouring Gujarat specifically to purchase the new phones.
Rahul, a Bengaluru customer who has bought iPhones since the iPhone 7, arrived at about 5 a.m. and described the annual launch as a festival, noting that buyers had come from Haryana, Delhi and Mumbai.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max were offered in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy colour, with features including a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, new Pro camera controls, Apple’s A20 Pro chip and a vapour-chamber cooling system.
The iPhone 18 Pro’s higher-storage models were priced at Rs 1,89,900 for 512GB, Rs 2,39,900 for 1TB and Rs 3,14,900 for 2TB; the Pro Max ranged from Rs 1,79,900 for 256GB to Rs 3,29,900 for 2TB.
Sood’s post prompted some users to criticize spending on expensive phones and EMIs, with one commenter arguing that young people should show the same enthusiasm for changing society as they do for queuing overnight to buy a new device.
Actor Sonu Sood is calling out the iPhone 18 frenzy sweeping India, posting a photo of massive queues outside Apple stores with a sharp message: "New phone, new EMI… same old bills!" NDTV reports that Sood urged people to stop chasing the latest upgrades and focus instead on building a better society. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched September 18, drawing customers from across India—some traveling from Gujarat, Haryana, and Delhi overnight just to buy one.
Long lines formed outside Apple stores nationwide on launch day. Times Now News reports that customers camped overnight, with some arriving as early as 5 a.m. Rahul, a repeat buyer from Bengaluru, described the annual launch as a "festival." Shoppers came from neighboring states to purchase the new models, treating the release like a major event.
Celebrity buyers joined the rush. Actor Vicky Kaushal was among the early customers to grab the new phones. The Mumbai Apple BKC store saw the heaviest traffic, with buyers traveling specifically from Gujarat and other nearby regions to secure their devices on day one.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 for the base 256GB model. m9.news reports that higher storage options cost Rs 1,89,900 (512GB), Rs 2,39,900 (1TB), and Rs 3,14,900 (2TB). The Pro Max begins at Rs 1,79,900 for 256GB, reaching Rs 3,29,900 for the 2TB version.
Apple packed serious upgrades into the Pro line. The phones feature a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, new Pro camera controls, the A20 Pro chip, and a vapor-chamber cooling system. They come in black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy color option.
Sonu Sood's critique resonated online. Times Now News reports that his social media post prompted users to question whether young people show the same passion for upgrading society as they do for overnight phone queues. Critics pointed out that buyers were taking expensive EMI loans just to own the latest device when that money could fund other priorities.
Sood's message was clear: chase real change, not phone models. He challenged people to direct their enthusiasm toward making a genuine difference. The actor's timing—hitting during peak launch frenzy—forced many to pause and reconsider what "upgrade" really means in their lives.
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