Krystal HuReporter for Yahoo Finance:
The new Apple iPhones seem to be a hit in its most important foreign market—China… After the tech giant released its three new iPhones on Thursday, some models have already sold out and customers need to wait for a few weeks for them or buy them from individual sellers at a markup.
On e-commerce platforms like Alibaba’s Tmall and JD.com, where most Chinese consumers who don’t have access to an Apple store would go to order iPhones, the iPhone 11 Pro model in midnight green was out of stock by late Friday.
The two platforms also reported strong sales. Tmall says sales of iPhone 11 series within the first 12 hours exceeded sales on the launch day of new phones last year. JD.com also reported this year’s first-day sales was double what it was last year… The most popular models were the new colors— green and purple iPhone 11 and the midnight green iPhone 11 Pro—according to sellers and online platforms… “The new colors can spur the desire from consumers,” said Mo Jia, an analyst with research firm Canalys.
MacDailyNews Take: Shocker:
[Apple] every year should offer a unique color scheme that is not replicated for at least five years so the newest iPhones are readily identifiable. Pooh-pooh it all you want, but many people not only want the latest tech, but they want others to know that they have the latest tech. An unique “brushed copper” or whatever color option – anything that says “This Year’s iPhone” at a glance – would sell better than yet another bland “S” model, regardless of processor and camera upgrades. The fact is that vastly more people care more about being able to brandish the latest iPhone than what’s inside it. Call it superficial or whatever, but it’s what sells.
If Apple simply did as we’ve described above – name them right (not idiotically tagging them as incremental every other year) and offer a unique, identifiable look – they’d sell more iPhones, without changing prices a whit. — MacDailyNews, January 30, 2019
Interns, TTK! Prost, everyone!
So now we wait. For the “gate.”
Totally agree with MDN’s take. When you spend that much money on a flag ship phone you want people to know it’s the latest, then skin it 12 months later. 🙄
There will be an analyst who says there were only about 1000 iPhones in stock in all of China, so selling out doesn’t prove anything. Hey, for all we know, those iPhones could have been bought by iPhone scalpers. That’s OK. As long as they’re not being returned for a refund. I would expect decent iPhone sales will be downplayed by some analysts who will do a sales compare from years ago just to prove Apple’s iPhone sales have bottomed out. I get it. Say anything to devalue Apple and confuse retail investors.
With the unpredictability of coming tariffs, Apple should be producing and shipping to the U.S.A. as fast as possible. Chinese demand can be satisfied later, so shortages in China, and the rest of the world, should be taken with a grain of salt. However, shortages in the U.S.A. would indicate record sales, and gluts would indicate nothing.
Apple should use robotics and automation to produce their products in the USA.