On Friday, hundreds queued outside Apple’s flagship Beijing retail store for the iPhone 17 launch, signaling strong initial sales in the world’s second-largest economy. Among the approximately 300 morning arrivals at the Sanlitun store to collect pre-ordered phones was 35-year-old Shuke Wang, who bought the Pro Max model, starting at 9,999 yuan ($1,406) in China, which analysts predict will be the top-selling model in the iPhone 17 series.
Reuters:
Analysts say the iPhone 17 series could give a crucial end-of-year boost to Apple’s market share and shipments in China, which have been pressured this year by intensifying competition from Xiaomi and Huawei amid weak consumer demand.
Chiew Le Xuan, a senior analyst at research company Omdia, said they expected iPhone shipments in China to rise 11% year over year in the second half, driven by the new series, contributing to 5% full-year growth for Apple in 2025.
“The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to outperform the 16 Pro Max, driven by a major redesign – a factor that has historically spurred replacement demand in China,” said Chiew. “It is likely to become Apple’s top-performing model in the Chinese market in 2026.”
The iPhone Air, opens new tab will be the only model in China to have telecom operators’ support for an e-SIM – a digital SIM embedded in the device. However, Apple has not opened pre-sales for the Air in China and says the availability of eSIM services from China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom is subject to regulatory approval.
Will Wong, a senior smartphone analyst at IDC… said the Air won’t deliver a major sales boost, as Apple traded off battery life and camera and audio quality, which Chinese consumers value, to achieve the slimmer design features.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s new iPhone lineup, especially the iPhone 17 Pro and flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max, is compelling!
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