iPhone 18 Pro fans queued overnight at Orchard Road Apple store for latest models
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Alzahra Begum Ali
- Mr Hector Yong was the first in Singapore to buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max, arriving early and drawn by new features like a smaller Dynamic Island and improved camera.
- The iPhone 18 Pro models feature a 48MP camera with aperture control, A20 Pro chip with 40% faster graphics, better battery life, and come in multiple colours and storage options.
- Launch day attracted diverse buyers including international fans and families, with additional Apple products like AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 also released alongside the new iPhones.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Hector Yong, 19, was the first person in Singapore to get his hands on the latest iPhone 18 Pro Max, after arriving at Apple’s Orchard Road store at 11pm the night before.
The Institute of Technical Education College East student, who is currently doing an internship, was among about 200 customers who had queued outside the store ahead of its 8am opening on Sept 18. It was his day off from work.
Yong said he decided to queue in person after watching the hype surrounding Apple’s launches over the years.
Having previously used an iPhone 17 Pro Max, he said the 18 Pro Max’s bigger battery, camera and smaller Dynamic Island (the interactive display area at the top of the screen) were among the features that drew him to the new model.
“I really consider the display when buying a new phone, so the smaller Dynamic Island is one of the main factors,” he said.
Hector Yong purchasing the iPhone 18 Pro Max on Sept 18.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
There was an orderly queue of about 140 people at 7.40am, which swelled to some 200 people by the time doors opened. Some customers sat or slept while waiting, while others chatted with fellow fans. Several were seen with luggage bags.
As 8am approached, the crowd outside the store grew increasingly animated. Apple staff began a five-minute countdown before the store opened, with customers counting down along with them.
The first customers walking into the Apple store in Orchard Road on Sept 18.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
When the clock struck 8am, customers made their way into the store excitedly to collect their new phones or make walk-in purchases.
Inside, customers crowded Apple staff with questions about the new phones as employees helped them with their purchases.
Customers shopping at the Apple store on Sept 18.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Proud to be the first customer in Singapore to get the new iPhone, Yong said: “I definitely feel very honoured to be the first in Singapore to get this phone. I’ve been waiting to try the new features.”
He had considered getting the new burgundy finish but eventually chose the icy blue glacier. “Burgundy is quite slick, I can’t lie, but the glacier is my favourite,” he said.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are the latest additions to Apple’s flagship smartphone line-up.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,899, while the Pro Max starts at $2,099. Both models come in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage options, and are available in black, silver, glacier and burgundy.
Tourists posing with their new iPhone 18 Pro phones at the Apple store on Sept 18.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
The new Pro models feature a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, allowing users to adjust the aperture for different lighting conditions and depth-of-field effects – a first for iPhones.
The phones are powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip, which Apple says offers up to 40 per cent faster graphics performance than the previous-generation A19 Pro.
The hotly anticipated Duo, a new passport-shaped foldable phone that Apple revealed on Sept 9, will launch on Oct 23.
The iPhone 18 models were available for pre-order in Singapore from Sept 12, with customers able to collect their devices at an Apple Store or have them delivered.
For some customers, however, being at the store on launch day was part of the appeal.
Vietnamese national Tran Anh Vu, who was also at 2025’s iPhone launch at the Orchard store, returned to Singapore to buy the latest model for his wife.
Vietnamese tourist Tran Anh Vu with two sets of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. He also flew in to get the latest iPhone model in 2025.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Vu arrived at the store around midnight to queue. It is easier to get the latest iPhone in Singapore than in Vietnam, said the 30-year-old, who travelled here specifically for the new iPhone.
He said the crowd appeared smaller this year compared with 2025, although he noticed many resellers at the launch.
Vu bought two iPhone 18 Pro Max phones, both in burgundy.
Although trips to Singapore cost him $200 to $400 in travel expenses, he felt it was worth the extra cost to get the phone quickly. On coming back for the iPhone launch, he said: “I think the feeling is the same every year, to get the first iPhone,” he said.
The launch also drew families, including 55-year-old Irene, who began queuing with her 85-year-old mother at about 8.10am.
Chin Chu (left) and her daughter Irene holding their new iPhone 18 Pro phones during the launch on Sept 18.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Irene said: “If I have one, she should have one too.”
The queue continued to draw attention from passers-by, with some gamely deciding to join the line.
Alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple launched the AirPods 5 (from $199), Apple Watch Ultra 4 (from $1,199) and Apple Watch Series 12 (from $599) in Singapore.
The new iPhones run on iOS 27 and include Apple Intelligence features, including an upgraded Siri that can draw on information from a user’s messages, e-mails and photos.