Pictured right here is an Apple flagship retailer in Beijing, China, on the day of the iPhone 16 launch on Sept. 20, 2024.
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BEIJING — Lots of Apple‘s prosperous iPhone customers in China are simply as serious about Huawei’s pricier trifold cellphone, CNBC discovered throughout spot checks at shops Friday, the day the iPhone 16 and Mate XT launched within the nation.
Out of 10 folks CNBC talked to on Friday, eight mentioned they’re serious about each the brand new Huawei and Apple telephones. CNBC talked to 5 people at every firm’s retailer throughout a workday morning.
Chinese language telecommunications large Huawei has sought to rebuild its smartphone enterprise after U.S. sanctions in 2019. Huawei ranked fourth by China smartphone market share within the second quarter, according to Canalys.
U.S.-based Apple dropped out of the highest 5, giving home gamers the highest 5 spots for the primary time, the info confirmed.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max begins at $1,199, and the iPhone 16 at $799. Huawei’s trifold Mate XT starts at the equivalent of more than $2,800.
The worth hole was much more obvious on on-line platforms promoting secondhand items.
The Huawei Mate XT was promoting for 50,000 yuan to 60,000 yuan ($7,100 to $8,520) on second-hand purchasing platform Xianyu as of 1 p.m. Friday afternoon. The Apple iPhone 16 Professional Max was promoting for 10,500 yuan to 16,300 yuan, the positioning confirmed.
Earlier within the day, the listed resale Mate XT value was 19,000 yuan, whereas the Apple iPhone 16 Professional Max was promoting for 9,999 yuan, the positioning confirmed.
No strains exterior Huawei shops
Folks in Beijing lined up as early as 5:30 a.m. to get the brand new iPhone when doorways opened at 8 a.m.
However there have been no strains exterior Huawei shops in Beijing and Hefei, a smaller metropolis west of Shanghai. The Chinese language firm began delivering the brand new telephones at 10:08 a.m. to individuals who had reserved the trifold gadget.
In the course of the 1 hour and 20 minutes that CNBC was on the Huawei retailer, a pair dozen folks went to the second ground to an space reserved for Mate XT patrons.
It was not clear if all of them bought the gadget. Many had been folks shopping for for resale functions.
Huawei’s web site on Friday confirmed it had halted gross sales, and planned to resume them at 10:08 a.m. on Saturday. The web page mentioned the corporate deliberate to finish deliveries by Sept. 30.
The primary particular person CNBC talked to on the Huawei retailer arrived at 10 a.m. simply to check out the trifold cellphone. The person, surnamed Yang, declined to share his first identify as a result of considerations about talking with international media.
He mentioned if he buys the trifold Mate XT, he plans to attempt it out for a number of days earlier than deciding whether or not to maintain it, give it to a good friend, or promote it. Yang anticipated the gadget may promote for two,000 yuan greater than the checklist value.
Yang additionally mentioned he makes use of an iPhone, and was serious about making an attempt Huawei’s new trifold options as a result of Apple wasn’t providing a lot that he felt was new.
Even the primary particular person in line on the Apple retailer, Wang, mentioned he additionally wished to get the Huawei trifold cellphone, however hadn’t gotten a textual content message but saying his gadget was prepared to select up.
He mentioned he purchased the iPhone 16 as a result of he heard its battery lasted longer, however was keen to attend for the iPhone 17 for any synthetic intelligence options.
— CNBC’s Sonia Heng contributed to this report.
