iPhone 15 series hits Apple retail, queues form worldwide

Apple’s iPhone 15 range hits the shops this morning and the first signals from key markets in China, Singapore, and India seem really solid to me. Crowds turned out to pick these things up, as usual confirming excitement despite Wall Street caution.

Update: The enthusiasm seems to be setting some records, according to analysts speaking within days of the launch.

Hitting 40 nations today, 21 more next week

The new smartphone will be on sale in over 40 nations by the end of the day, including the US, UK, Europe, India, Japan, and China. The series goes on sale in 21 more nations, including Vietnam, starting September 29.

Despite recent scare stories, Apple remains a huge business in China.

Queues formed outside its store in Shanghai, while Reuters reports pre-orders have boomed, with delays up until November at this point. Indeed, the high end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max sold out in just one minute on one retail site.

In India, iPhones sold out fast

India seems to have gone wild for the device.

Queues formed overnight outside the company’s two retail stores there (video).

One customer told local reporters: “It was a great experience. I was in the queue since 4 a.m. and then purchased the phone. I have always had top phones with me. I have an iPhone 13 Pro Max and an iPhone 14 Pro Max. After the 15 series was announced, I wanted to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max – that too before everyone else.”

[Also read: Why Apple, not Android, won the smartphone wars]

The company swiftly ran out of stock of most of its devices before 6am ET. Here are some clips from India capturing the moments before the device went on sale.

India is Apple’s next big hope.

The company intends to build a China-size market there in the coming years, benefitting from the nation’s rapid economic growth and bulging middle class.

A virtuous circle

With retail, manufacturing and development bases now located in India, the company will be hoping to reap what it sews. Local interest is also likely to be stimulated by Apple’s decision to ensure iPhones sold there are made there for the first time, even as the infrastructure for manufacturing grows insanely fast.

Apple’s share of the smartphone market in India is expected to reach 7% from 5%, some reports say. Meanwhile wait times for the high end models have already hit October.

Nabila Popal, Research director at market intelligence company IDC told Mint news:

“The premium smartphone market in India has climbed tremendously from 0.8% of the total market in 2019 to 6.1% in the first half of 2023 and this is largely attributed to Apple’s success.”

This is echoed in computers. While India’s general PC market declined 15% YoY in Q2 23, Apple experienced astonishing 89.5% growth, said Canalys. The company’s share of the PC market rocketed from 3.7% to 8.2%, snapping at the heels of Acer and Dell.

Queues across Europe

Europe isn’t sleeping. While workers at Apple retail stores in France began a national strike today over pay and working conditions, customers still queued outside stores to get their hands on the new device.

In London, despite the abject misery afflicting most of the population after 20+ years of neo-liberal misrule, hundreds of customers queued outside the company’s retail stores to get one of these devices. Also in Europe, queues formed in Italy, Germany, and are already in place across the US.

Apple isn’t just focusing on India.

Next up: Vietnam

Senior executives reportedly met with the Prime Minister of Vietnam Phạm Minh Chính in New York yesterday. The politician urged the company and its partners to invest in Vietnam, saying he hopes the nation will become an important link in the Apple supply and production chain.

There’s plenty of interest in iPhone there, too – local reports claim Vietnamese iPhone fans are paying up to $700 more per device just to get hold of one earlier than September 29.

The iPhone 15 range offers a new design with durable, color-infused back glass and aerospace-grade titanium design. The camera systems take portrait photography to the next level with improvements in low-light performance, and a new 5x Telephoto camera — available exclusively on iPhone 15 Pro Max — is amazing for close-ups, wildlife photos, and more.

Please follow me on Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.