iPhone 13 is also big in Vietnam, report claims

The iPhone 13 went on sale in Vietnam on October 22, with Apple shifting tens of thousands of these devices on the first day on sale, according to a local report. Sales were bigger than ever before, the report said.

Vietnam dials up for iPhone

The report – which looks a little like proper journalism as it seems the writer took the time to speak to local sources – claims the following:

• At FPT Shop a local mobile telecoms company, Apple sold nearly 5,000 iPhones on day one, breaking last year’s 4,500 record set by iPhone 12.
• CellphoneS sold nearly 3,000 of the devices on day one.
• Minh Tuan Mobile sold 1,000.
• Apple distributor, ShopDunk, saw 15,000 iPhone 13 pre-orders.

The report cites industry sources who claim that the various deals and incentives on offer are encouraging strong sales from established retailers, rather than the more traditional gray market vendors who have traditionally provided Apple’s devices.

This is what happened when iPhone 13 was made available for sale in China.

Demand also exceeds supply and iPhone 13 units are already being resold at inflated prices as many models are out of stock nationwide – though the report does point out that supply is thinner than it was last year.

Big in APAC

The iPhone is proving a huge success across the APAC region. The scenes in China (above) speak for themselves, while Thailand reported that pre-orders for the device exceeded those for iPhone 12 in 2020.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty last week said iPhone 13 sales may be higher than last year, setting new records in China but with success somewhat constrained by component supply challenges.

The analyst also pointed out that customer loyalty is high, with Chinese consumers even more likely to stick with an iPhone. The company is also stealing customers from Samsung and Huawei, she said.

iPhone environment slide as used during iPhone 13 launch

The valuable Apple halo

The analysts at CounterPoint recently observed how loyalty to one Apple product becomes a halo, prompting purchases of other Apple devices. In part this is because of Apple’s unified ecosystem.

“The convenience with which one may shift between a Mac, iPad and an iPhone encourages users of one Apple device to stay within the Apple ecosystem by acquiring other of the brand’s devices,” Counterpoint said.

“This is made possible by Apple’s significant control over both hardware and software, enabling a seamless shift of work on an app between multiple devices. While this has been the case for some time, it has become particularly pronounced with the stickiness of music, media, news, storage, etc. Apple is likely to retain this edge, enabling it to continue charging premium prices for its handsets, thus maintaining high operating profit margins.”

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