IPhone XS buyers do not seem discouraged by exorbitant prices, few updates

People queue in front of Apple Store for new iPhone XS and XS Max for sale in Hangzhou, Zhejiang

The iPhone XS costs up to $ 200 more than the already expensive iPhone X of last year and is one of the smallest advances in the history of the product line. But that means little for the faithful of Apple Inc. or those looking to upgrade their old iPhone.

Hundreds of consumers lined up in Apple stores around the world the day before or in the early hours before the Friday on sale of the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. Many consumers have been seen queuing at Orchard Road in Singapore despite the hot weather. Other outlets, such as the IFC shopping mall in Hong Kong, had much shorter lines, with sales largely limited to those already ordered.

This year's models include for the first time dual sim cards, a popular feature on Android devices in Asia. This attracted Li Jun, who works for a commercial company in Guangzhou, and went to Hong Kong to buy an iPhone XS for $ 9,899 from Hong Kong.

"The iPhone XS is expensive for me, but I can not resist the new dual SIM functionality," said Li. "This feature allows me to install a local SIM card when I work abroad, without removing my Chinese SIM card. "

The global smartphone industry has stagnated at around 1.5 billion devices sold each year. But the annual launch of the iPhone Theater remains a glimmer of hope. For Apple in particular, the length of lines has become less important as it sells more phones online and adjusts its business model. Rather than persuading users to switch to the most advanced and expensive phone every year, Apple's goal is to consistently raise the average price while increasing the total number of active devices to support accessory sales. and digital services.

This year, many consumers have ordered online for delivery on the day of launch. But those who missed opening pre-orders last week have to go to a physical store to get one on the first day. In the United States, new iPhone XS online orders only arrive between October 4 and 11. Wait times are the same in Hong Kong and Australia, while shipments take one to two weeks in mainland China.

These wait times are shorter than last year when the iPhone X went on sale. But those looking for the latest Apple Watch are not so lucky. New orders for many new Watch models will not reach the end of October in the US, while Chinese orders expect a wait time of three to four weeks. Consumers probably think they will be more likely to take it to a retail store.

This year's demand is not as extreme as the early years of the iPhone, or even last year with the iPhone X. The iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max have faster processors, improvements from the camera and the Max offers a bigger screen. But none of the improvements are significant unless a user upgrades a much older iPhone.

This year's iPhones are among the most expensive smartphones on the market. In the United States, the iPhone XS Max with 512 gigabytes of storage costs $ 1,449. The overall price range is currently between $ 449 and $ 1,449, from $ 349 to $ 1,149 previously.

The focus on pre-orders has led to disappointment for some. Cao Zhongqiang from Shanghai was informed that he could not get a device on the first day without an existing order.

"I was hoping to be able to get in and buy one, but I was told that the offer for on-site purchase was inadequate," Cao said in Hong Kong.