iPhone 18 Prices Trigger Meme Frenzy, Apple’s Premium Phones Compared With Royal Enfield Bikes And Gold

Mumbai: Apple's recent iPhone 18 pricing has ignited a wave of memes across social media platforms, with users drawing comparisons to Royal Enfield motorcycles, gold, Bitcoin, and even human organs. One comparison stood out, likening the Royal Enfield Himalayan OG 440 to the iPhone Duo 256GB, pointing out that buying the motorcycle, fueling it, and retaining a small sum left would be more economical than purchasing the phone.

The comparison sparked the popular phrase: "iPhone is no longer competing with Samsung; it is competing with Royal Enfield." The Royal Enfield Himalayan OG 440, priced at approximately ₹2.80L on-road (including a full tank, off-road and highway capabilities), contrasts sharply with the iPhone Duo 256GB, which costs ₹2.99L. The humorous juxtaposition highlights the vastly different experiences offered by both products.

The iPhone's high price has also reignited familiar internet jokes about kidney purchases, with some suggesting buyers would need "two kidneys" to afford the iPhone Duo. Other satirical posts imagined luxury spending limits, government-backed "iPhone registries," and five-year bank loans for the device. Though clearly exaggerated, these jokes reflect how flagship phones are increasingly perceived as significant investments.

The meme frenzy also drew comparisons with Bitcoin, showing the iPhone 5 costing USD 649 in 2012 (when Bitcoin was around USD 12) and the iPhone 18 Ultra at about USD 2,000 and Bitcoin at approximately USD 78,265. Social media users in Pakistan even shared purported prices reaching into the lakh range, further fueling affordability jokes.

While these comparisons remain speculative, they underscore Apple's iPhone's unique status as both a cutting-edge technology product and a symbol of status, prompting reactions beyond mere smartphone rivalry.