Prime Highlights:
- The iPhone 17 series has launched globally, including the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Air, along with new Apple Watch and AirPods models.
- Early customer response has been strong worldwide, with preorders and sales exceeding expectations despite growing competition.
Key Facts:
- Apple currently holds only 10% of China’s smartphone market, trailing local competitors like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo.
- JD.com reported that first-minute preorders of the iPhone 17 series surpassed last year’s iPhone 16 series, and trade-in sales of older models were four times higher.
Key Background:
Apple’s new products, the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch, and AirPods, went on sale worldwide on Friday. The launch comes as Apple faces growing competition, especially in China.
Despite this, the iPhone 17 base model is selling better than expected, as prices stayed the same even with more memory. Le Xuan Chiew, a research manager at Omdia, said the strong response shows how excited customers are about Apple’s new products.
In China, eager customers queued for hours outside flagship stores. At the Apple store in Beijing’s Sanlitun district, Liu, who switched from Huawei to Apple, waited overnight to purchase the iPhone 17 Pro Max. He cited the new design and improved heat dissipation as key reasons for upgrading. Yang, a former Xiaomi user, said he liked the iPhone’s operating system and larger storage, and he expects many people to buy their first iPhone this year.
Apple currently holds only 10% of China’s smartphone market, behind local brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo. But early signs for the iPhone 17 are positive: JD.com said first-minute preorders beat last year’s iPhone 16, and trade-in sales of older phones were four times higher than before.
In markets like Singapore and London, the launch drew long lines, especially for the premium Pro models. Customers liked the phones’ new design, longer battery life, and better cameras. Most of the customers reportedly claimed that upgrades were satisfactory to continue using Apple, but some also wanted to use other products available in the market, such as the AirPods Pro 3, due to its features of live translation.
Despite the buzz, Apple continues to experience stiff competition. Ben Wood, the chief analyst at CCS Insight, said that the company must continue to roll out new features to stay on top.
The iPhone 17 has a promising start despite its rivalry with other mobile phone products, as the product is highly demanded, attracting positive feedback across the globe.
