iPhone 17 launch frenzy: Long queues, scuffles outside Apple stores

Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 17, launched on Friday to an unprecedented frenzy, with eager customers lining up for hours —camping overnight for up to 21 hours  —  outside Apple stores and even indulging in a scuffle before its opening across major cities. 

The massive anticipation was palpable as fans in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru formed long, serpentine queues, determined to be among the first to get their hands on the new devices. Retailers reported record-breaking foot traffic on opening day, with early buyers sharing stories of camaraderie and determination in the long lines. 

At the Apple Store in Delhi’s Saket Citywalk Mall, as also in Mumbai and Bengaluru, people lined up well before store opening hours, underscoring strong demand fuelled by enthusiastic young buyers and the brand's premium appeal. 

 

In Bengaluru, the newly-opened Apple Hebbal store at Mall of Asia witnessed heavy footfall as excited shoppers lined up early to purchase the newly launched iPhone 17 lineup along with the latest Apple Watch and AirPods. 

Mumbai saw a similar frenzy outside Apple's Jio World Drive mall at Bandra Kurla Complex business district. A little before 6 am, a scuffle broke out among some of the customers had assembled, prompting the security personnel to intervene. 

While there is no official word from Apple yet on record turnout, analysts say Apple's growth in India is being fuelled by its strong brand appeal and wider adoption of EMI schemes among young buyers. 

Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 series in the price range of ₹82,900 to ₹2,29,900, which became available in India starting Friday for customers who have pre-booked the device. 

Shoppers notice scratches on Blue Pro, Black Air 

Gadget shoppers from Hong Kong to London to New York waited on long lines Friday to purchase Apple’s latest iPhones. But some arrived at retailers to find that certain store models were already scratched.  

The deep blue variants of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max exhibited scuffs after just a few hours of being on display, Bloomberg News found from visits to Apple stores in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London. The black iPhone Air also showed itself to be prone to scratching, the reporters observed. 

It’s the company’s first major physical redesign of its smartphones in years. With this generation, the handsets return to an aluminum shell and feature what Apple has touted as a more scratch-resistant finish on the back. 

It’s unclear how widespread the issue is. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.