China's iPhone 18 Pro Frenzy: 7M Preorders Sold in 5 Minutes

Apple has shattered sales records with its latest smartphone release in China. Preorders for the new iPhone 18 Pro series sold out in exactly five minutes. An astonishing seven million units vanished from digital shelves on September 9, as eager fans flooded major retail websites, causing them to briefly crash. Apple officially unveiled its highly anticipated flagship phones and opened preorders on September 9. This year, the tech giant increased the starting prices by 1,000 yuan. The 256GB iPhone 18 Pro now begins at a hefty 9,999 yuan, while the larger Pro Max model starts at 10,999 yuan across China. Key Takeaways: The online scramble for the newest iPhone was truly unprecedented this year. Millions of eager buyers flooded Apple’s official website at 8 p.m. local time. The massive surge in web traffic briefly crashed the main Apple Store app. Systems recovered a few minutes later, but the phones were already gone. Major Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao and JD.com saw immediate, sweeping sellouts. During the first hour, Taobao reported sales figures double those of last year. The initial batch of phones simply evaporated before most people could click buy. Many frustrated customers were left empty-handed staring at out-of-stock screens on their devices. Retail workers at physical Apple Stores reported equally chaotic scenes throughout the weekend. Eager customers lined up outside shops just to ask about new online reservations. Staff calmly explained that walk-in purchases were impossible without a valid digital ticket. This massive foot traffic proves that the digital frenzy matched real-world excitement perfectly. Wait times for standard home delivery have already stretched into late October. If you order today, you will not receive your brand new phone anytime soon. Fans are clearly willing to pay more for the very latest mobile technology. This massive demand shows that Apple’s brand appeal remains incredibly strong today. Financial analysts were initially worried that higher costs would hurt overall sales figures. Instead, the market proved that loyal Apple fans are largely immune to price shock. Buyers quickly adjusted their budgets to afford the sleek new phone design. Upgrading to a premium Apple smartphone is clearly a top priority for them. Because of the severe shortage, the secondary market has completely exploded this week. Independent sellers on platforms like Dewu immediately capitalized on the extreme phone scarcity. Scalpers are currently listing the silver 256GB Pro Max at huge, unreasonable markups. Some transaction prices show a staggering 27 percent premium over the retail cost. The average resale price for the burgundy Pro Max reached an astonishing 12,799 yuan. Buyers who missed the preorder window are reluctantly paying these highly inflated costs. Scalping has always been an issue, but this launch feels much different. The profit margins are so large that almost everyone wants to get involved. Some lucky buyers are even selling their confirmed device orders on social media. They post screenshots of their late September delivery dates to attract eager bidders. It has quickly become a fast way to make a very easy profit. This informal trading network is making the retail phone shortage even more severe. In the past, Chinese resellers eagerly traded local Huawei flagship phones for profit. Huawei devices often commanded high prices on the active underground street technology market. Now, many scalpers are completely ignoring local brands to focus entirely on Apple. The quick profit margins on the iPhone 18 Pro are simply too attractive. This major shift marks a notable change in the local mobile technology landscape. Resellers know that desperate Apple fans will gladly pay almost any price asked. Therefore, they are pulling their available cash out of Huawei to buy iPhones. The local competition is fierce, but Apple is clearly winning the retail streets. Local tech forums are filled with stories of traders dropping their older inventory. One prominent reseller noted that moving Huawei units simply takes far too long. In contrast, a new iPhone 18 Pro sells within minutes of being posted. Time is money, and Apple currently provides the fastest return on their investment. Adding to the massive hype, Apple also announced its first official foldable phone. The highly anticipated iPhone Duo will officially launch to the public in late October. This premium foldable device features an innovative, completely creaseless screen and 3D glass. Tech enthusiasts have waited nearly fifteen years for a true Apple foldable phone. Scalpers are already taking early, unofficial online reservations for this new foldable model. They strongly expect the initial supply for the iPhone Duo to be extremely limited. Early consumer interest suggests it will sell out just as fast as the Pro. The retail market is already bracing for another wild round of buying frenzy. Early hype for the iPhone Duo has driven underground street prices incredibly high. The official retail price for the new foldable phone is roughly $1,999 USD. However, some desperate buyers are reportedly offering up to $10,000 for launch-day units. This shocking level of consumer spending highlights a very strong luxury device market. Wealthy buyers simply want to be the very first to own the Duo. They frankly do not care about the official retail price or extreme markups. Scalpers are practically guaranteeing a massive payday if they manage to secure a phone. It is a crazy financial situation that continues to amaze many industry experts. Information source: Chiang Rai Times