Apple iPhone 17 Series First Sales in China: Pro Max Becomes a "Hot Seller," Scalpers in Beijing and Shanghai Mark Up Prices by Over a Thousand, Popularity Cools Down in Shenzhen
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The Apple iPhone 17 series officially went on sale in China on Friday, with the market response presenting a complex yet positive signal. In first-tier cities like Beijing, long queues and scalpers raising prices have reappeared, showing strong demand for high-end models; however, the enthusiasm in places like Shenzhen has cooled compared to previous years.
After sales started on Friday, long lines quickly formed outside Apple’s official stores in Beijing and Shanghai, and some of the most popular models sold out quickly. According to Yicai, about 300 people lined up outside Apple’s Sanlitun flagship store in Beijing, with some consumers waiting to get their new phones, pre-ordered online, as soon as possible. Soon after sales began, all in-store stock of the iPhone 17 series was declared sold out, and scalpers outside the store were marking up popular models by several hundred to over a thousand RMB. According to a report in National Business Daily, the long lines outside Apple’s Nanjing East Road flagship store in Shanghai surpassed previous years, and staff had to install extra barriers to maintain order.
The iPhone 17 series goes on sale with a bang: huge lines at stores and scalpers paying 300-400 yuan premiums to snap up the Pro Max version (Image source: National Business Daily)
However, the market heat is not uniform everywhere. According to Securities Times, at an Apple retail store in Shenzhen, the number of people lining up to pick up devices was “much lower than previous years,” and the line soon moved into the store. Scalpers on the scene were also more cautious, saying they were only willing to buy back iPhone 17 Pro Max models with at least 512GB of storage, indicating that market demand is highly concentrated on the top-spec versions.
Overall, the debut performance of the iPhone 17 series has given Apple a mixed start in this key Chinese market. Analysts generally believe that the updates in the new models, especially the Pro Max version, are likely to become an important driver for boosting Apple’s year-end sales and market share, in response to intense competition from domestic brands this year.
Pro Max model demand is strong, scalpers active behind the scenes
The high-end models in the iPhone 17 series have become the focus of this launch. In Beijing, stores moved opening times forward from 10am to 8am to handle the crowds. Lines formed as early as 5 or 6am. At the Apple flagship store on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, long lines formed outside, and staff had to put up more black barriers for queueing. According to store staff, only consumers with reservations could enter to pick up their new device.
The Pro Max model is the most sought after. The scalper markup for the 1TB version of the Pro Max is as high as 1,000 yuan, while the 256GB Pro version sells at a 300-400 yuan premium. According to Apple’s official website, ordering an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max now means an estimated delivery time of late October.
Multiple scalpers said: “There’s not a big premium this year because Apple has too much stock.” As for the 2TB large-storage version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, scalpers bought few, and for the standard iPhone 17, scalpers didn’t purchase them at all.
Scalpers on the scene said:
“So far, I haven’t seen any users leave the Apple store with the 2TB version. If there is one, I’m willing to buy it back, but can’t offer much markup. Ordinary users won’t buy such large storage — the official price is already 17,999 yuan, too expensive.”
iPhone 17 Series Sale Frenzy: Huge Store Lines, Scalpers Adding 300-400 Yuan to Snap Up Pro Max Version (Image: National Business Daily)
Consumer enthusiasm is mainly driven by product updates. A 35-year-old consumer told the media he bought the Pro Max model, starting at 9,999 yuan, specifically for its new exterior design and longer battery life. According to Apple’s launch event, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a battery around 5,000mAh and an upgraded rear camera, directly addressing customers’ longtime concern about battery life.
Beijing store staff confirmed that all in-stock iPhone 17 series models are sold out. Even if you place a reservation now, the earliest you will get the phone is from late October to early November.
Analysts: Redesigned model expected to boost Apple’s China market share
This iPhone 17 launch is seen by analysts as a key moment for Apple to reverse its downturn in China. According to data from Counterpoint Research released this week, Apple’s shipments in China fell 6% year-on-year in the first eight weeks of the third quarter due to competition from other brands.
Chiew Le Xuan, Senior Analyst at research firm Omdia, said that driven by the iPhone 17 series, Apple’s shipments in China are expected to grow 11% year-on-year in the second half, achieving 5% growth for full year 2025:
“The iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to outperform the previous generation 16 Pro Max, mainly driven by its major redesign — a factor which has always stimulated upgrade demand in China.”
He predicts that this model could become Apple’s best-performing model in China by 2026.
As for the regional split in launch enthusiasm, the market also seems to be repositioning price and value. Securities Times observed in Shenzhen that scalpers were only focusing their buybacks on large-capacity versions of the Pro Max, with the orange model being most popular.
iPhone Air’s China launch delayed, old models discounted to clear stock
The highly anticipated “thinnest iPhone ever” — the iPhone Air — was not released simultaneously in mainland China this time. This model only supports eSIM (embedded SIM card), which requires regulatory approval from telecom operators in China, so Apple has postponed its pre-sale there. The phone was not on display in stores either.
Will Wong, IDC Senior Smartphone Analyst, believes that the iPhone Air may serve as a “test bed” for thin/light technology, with that technology possibly being used in a future foldable iPhone. However, he also noted that compromises in battery, camera, and audio quality to achieve the thin/light design run counter to features valued by Chinese consumers, so the iPhone Air is unlikely to deliver significant sales growth for Apple in the short term.
As new models launch, Apple has also started discounting older models to clear inventory. Currently, the price of the iPhone 16 at Beijing stores has been reduced, with only the 128GB version on sale for 5,399 yuan — lower than its 2024 launch price of 5,999 yuan, while the iPhone 16 Pro has been discontinued.
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