In China, hundreds (or even thousands) of people lined up to buy the new iPhone 15, despite the restrictions that Chinese authorities have placed on Apple.
Sales of Apple’s latest iPhone in China are under close scrutiny from fans and market watchers alike, after increased restrictions on iPhone use by government personnel and the launch of a high-end rival from Huawei sparked concerns about demand for the device in its third-largest market.
However, the strength of pre-orders in the world’s second-largest economy, which began last Friday, eased concerns, with delivery times extending into November and the range-topping iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max selling out in just a minute on Alibaba’s e-commerce site Tmall.
Local media reported that the queue at the store in Shanghai’s East Nanjing Road shopping area began to form at 5 a.m.
Boom for iPhone 15 in Shanghai
Among the people who came to the store was Zhang Ming, a 25-year-old influencer, who said she wanted to try the iPhone 15 after being unsuccessful in pre-ordering online.
“I always like to look at (new devices). When I buy Apple products, I only look at the color. If I like the color, I buy it,” he says.
The iPhone 15 includes a new titanium casing, a faster chip and better video game-playing capabilities. Apple also surprised by not raising prices, reflecting the worldwide drop in demand for smartphones.
But some customers at the store lamented the lack of significant improvements over the previous model. Wang Puyu, a 29-year-old real estate worker, said he was only buying a new model because he had promised to give his iPhone 14 to his nephew.
TYT Newsroom
