Apple breaks records in China with high iPhone 17 preorders

What the Reports Say

Preorder numbers for Apple’s iPhone 17 series in China have already surpassed those of the iPhone 16 series. This happened within the first minute after preorders opened on JD.com.  The demand is so high. Apple’s official Chinese online store experienced crashes. Some models got sold-out or went “out of stock” quickly.  One of the most popular configurations is the iPhone 17 with 256 GB storage.  Regarding physical store logistics, all time-slots for in-store pick-ups in Shanghai filled up swiftly. The iPhone 17 Pro Max time-slots were reserved very quickly. The slots were fully booked within ~20 minutes. Also, in Guangzhou customers would have to wait until mid-October for some models.  The iPhone Air model cannot be preordered in China yet. This is due to regulatory issues tied to its eSIM-only design. 

Why It’s Happening

Several factors likely contributing to this strong demand:

Feature Improvements & Value Proposition The base iPhone 17 is reported to have some upgrades that make it more attractive (e.g. more storage, possibly improved display technology, etc.), which may have reduced the threshold for many buyers.  Pent-up Demand Many users may have held off upgrading due to global chip shortages, inflation, competition, and maybe delays. They are now ready to upgrade, especially with something that feels like a true upgrade. Brand Strength & Loyalty Apple has strong brand prestige in China. Even amid rising competition from domestic brands, many consumers still prefer Apple for its ecosystem, design, reliability, resale value, etc. The “premium” status helps. Marketing & Retail Execution Apple and its retail partners like JD.com seem to have done a good job with hype, availability (as much as possible), logistics of preorders and store-pickups. Also, seeing models go out of stock quickly may feed into urgency for buyers (“get it now before it’s gone”). Regulatory Hiccups with Certain Models The delay of iPhone Air means fewer models to choose from, which may concentrate demand on the available models. Less fragmentation could drive up preorder numbers for the models that are available. 

Potential Implications

Strong Early Revenue Good preorder numbers translate to solid early sales and cash flow, which helps Apple in its quarterly numbers, especially in a big market like China. Signal to Competitors This sends a message that Apple still matters in China. It shows that Apple can still compete aggressively despite challenges from local brands and regulatory issues. Regulatory Spotlight The issues around eSIM and approval for certain models (e.g. iPhone Air delay) show Apple still has to navigate Chinese telecom regulation carefully. Any delays can affect sales, public perception, and comparisons with local phones. Supply Chain & Inventory Stress Demand is outpacing supply right away. There might be more shortages. Longer wait times and possibly disappointed customers could result. Managing supply constraints will be important. Potential for Price & Feature Arms Race Local competitors may respond by stepping up specs, cutting prices or offering better terms (trade-ins, financing) to try and win back market share from Apple.

If you want, I can pull up specific numbers of how many preorders, the revenue estimates, and compare with previous years to see how significant the jump is. Do you want that deeper dig.

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