The launch of a new iPhone is usually a celebrated event for Apple fans, but the release of the highly anticipated iPhone 17 took a chaotic and violent turn this week.
An Apple Store became the scene of a brawl as desperate shoppers, eager to get their hands on the latest device, began slapping and punching each other.
iPhone 17 Launch Turns Violent
A video of the shocking incident has gone viral, showing the moment the excitement of the launch descended into an all-out fight.
Today, 19 September, Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 17 series smartphones hit the store shelves in India. Unsurprisingly, massive crowds flocked to all four Apple Stores across the country, each one eager to purchase the new iPhones.
To be among the first to purchase the new iPhone 17 models — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max — people started queuing the night before.
Fights Break Out Over the iPhone 17
At the Apple Store in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex, a fight broke out this morning as shoppers and tech lovers clashed while trying to purchase the new iPhone 17 variants.
A video shared by the news agency PTI showed a chaotic scene outside the Apple Store's glass entrance, where dozens of men were crammed together, with each person striking and slapping those around them.
VIDEO | iPhone 17 series launch: A scuffle broke out among a few people amid the rush outside the Apple Store at BKC Jio Centre, Mumbai, prompting security personnel to intervene.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 19, 2025
Large crowds had gathered as people waited eagerly for the iPhone 17 pre-booking.#iPhone17… pic.twitter.com/cskTiCB7yi
The video also showed a man in a red shirt being pulled from the fight by uniformed security guards. He tried to hit one of the guards before the other one pulled him away.
While the video continues, a different shopper, wearing a white shirt, steps in to check on the security guard's condition as the attacker is held back. All the while, the confrontation continues in the background; a third guard can be seen with his lathi (a long, heavy stick, often used as a weapon by police officers) raised, but he is unable to do anything on his own.
Then a second troublemaker, this time wearing a black-and-white shirt, is pulled from the crowd by an armed guard in combat fatigues and shoved away.
iPhone 17 Goes on Sale in India
Apple has begun selling its new iPhone 17 series in India, drawing large crowds and long queues in flagship stores in both Mumbai and Delhi. According to some shoppers who spoke with news agency ANI, the scuffle in Mumbai was the result of insufficient security.
Mohan Yadav, a would-be buyer from Ahmedabad, said he had been waiting since 5 a.m., and that many people tried to jump the queue, which led to chaos at the entrance.
VIDEO | Delhi: After buying the iPhone 17 series phone, a customer says, "I was in the queue since morning, and I am excited to buy the iPhone of this colour. In India, this saffron-coloured phone will become very popular. I am a Muslim, but I love this colour..."#iPhone17… pic.twitter.com/jdMjvx4GVn
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 19, 2025
'I have been waiting since the morning. Have been standing in a queue... but the security here has no responsibility. People are breaking lines. Those standing behind don't get the chance to buy the product due to a lack of responsibility among the security officials', he complained.
A similar frenzy took place outside the Apple store at Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, New Delhi, where buyers also waited all night to purchase the new iPhones. People lined up on the road, waiting for the mall to open so they could be among the first to get the latest iPhone. Another rush, though less chaotic, was also observed at the Apple store in Bengaluru.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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