Few Turnout For iPhone 11 Debut In China

Shanghai and Beijing Apple stores were relatively quiet when the new iPhone 11 hit shelves on Friday (Sept. 20), Reuters reported.

Previous iPhone debuts attracted hundreds of people, with lines forming outside the store the night before.

The iPhone 11 kickoff in Chinese brick-and-mortar stores trailed a day behind Huawei’s debut of its latest smartphones on Thursday (Sept. 19). With wraparound screens and improved cameras, Chinese customers are embracing Huawei even though access to many Google apps will be limited.

Customers at the Apple store on Friday told Reuters the improved camera in the iPhone was a draw, but the lack of 5G compatibility was a concern.

Huawei and Vivo are already enabled for fifth-generation networks.

The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, priced between $699 and $1,099, have enhanced processors and improved cameras. Online pre-sales for the new iPhones were brisk and beat analysts’ expectations. 

Chinese eCommerce site Alibaba indicated that sales of the new iPhones are 335 percent more than last year’s demand for the iPhone XR. Online marketplace JD.com said iPhone 11 sales were up 480 percent over last year. The fastest-selling iPhones in the 11 series so far are the Pro in midnight green and the standard iPhone 11 in black and purple.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, increased his iPhone 11 series shipment forecast from 65-70 million units in 2019 to 70-75 million units, while noting the supply chain will “grow steadily” in Q4. 

He noted that while the demand for the standard iPhone 11 is “lackluster” in the U.S., there is an appetite for the “more expensive iPhone 11 Pro.” He bases this on shipment times, which are two to three weeks past the launch date for the more costly models.

Apple’s zero-interest installment program and trade-in programs have helped drive demand for the more expensive model. 

Although bargains from Chinese retailers have hurt demands for iPhones, the region had the third-largest sales volume for Apple products in 2018.