The iPhone 18 Pro launch day brought long queues outside Apple stores around the world on Friday, with customers hoping to be among the first to buy the company's newest phone.
Apple also released new Apple Watches and AirPods 5 on the same day. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are the main launch products, while Apple's foldable iPhone Duo is still in pre-orders and is scheduled to go on sale October 23.
Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, visited New York City's flagship Fifth Avenue store for the launch, repeating a tradition long associated with Tim Cook. It was Ternus's first big launch as Apple's CEO, and his first major public appearance came during the phone's announcement on September 9.
The Pro models include a new 48-megapixel main camera with a variable aperture, which Apple says is a first for an iPhone and gives more control over lighting and depth of field. The phones also run iOS 27, including Apple's new AI-ific tools, like Siri AI.
In mainland China, the iPhones will not get some of Apple's AI updates yet, but that did not stop shoppers in Hangzhou from creating multiple long lines outside the Apple store. In Hong Kong, Apple capped direct purchases at two iPhone 18 Pros and two Pro Maxes per customer, according to the company's regional website. Shoppers also lined up in Australia, London, India and Kuala Lumpur. In Kuala Lumpur, shoppers got a first look at the new blue and burgundy finishes.
In Italy, Apple retail workers went on strike over working conditions and gathered outside the company's flagship glass-cube store with flags, whistles and rattles.
For Apple, launch day still works as a global attention machine. For customers, it is a reminder that premium hardware can still pull crowds in an era when upgrades are supposed to feel routine. The business lesson is simple: when a product feels new enough, people will wait in line for it.
