Apple iPhone 17 will be sold as questions remain in the Chinese market, AI strategy

The iPhone 17 slammed shelves around the world on Friday, drawing long lines from Beijing to Singapore.

But beyond the topic of launches, Apple is under pressure to prove itself, addressing questions about artificial intelligence plans as well as increasing competition.

One of those markets is China. There, Apple customers waited hours and overnight to get their new iPhone.

This morning, he first lined up at the Apple Flagship Store in San Litung, Beijing, and didn’t want to be identified by his full name – he told him he had been queueing from 11pm on Thursday for a chance to pick up his iPhone 17 Pro Max.

He said he was excited by the new colours and exterior design of the smartphone. This says Apple has improved heat dissipation on the phone.

First-time display products include the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, as well as the new Apple Watch and AirPods models.

They have been reserved and available in the US from September 12th, but global launches are especially important as Apple assumes increased competition in overseas markets.

In particular, Liu also said that in recent years, he has changed from Huawei to Apple, and believes the iPhone is better for everyday life and entertainment.

Another person who wanted to be identified only by his last name, a former Xiaomi user, said he was waiting to get his latest iPhone and prefers the operating system.

Liu and Yang expect many Chinese residents to buy their first iPhone of the year, due to new features such as larger internal storage.

If that trend is panning out, they will welcome the news of iPhones that have lost China’s market share for players like Huawei and Xiaomi.

According to Omdia data, after years of leadership in the region, Apple holds only 10% of the Chinese smartphone market, tracking local players such as Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi.

So far, the signs are positive for the Chinese iPhone 17 series. Last Friday, JD.com, one of China’s biggest e-commerce platforms, surpassed the pre-order volume for last year’s iPhone 16 series in its first minute.

In Singapore’s much smaller but wealthy markets, the redesigned iPhone 17S also eagerly encountered, with long lines formed outside the city’s apple outlets.

Two young experts in Singapore, Iman Isa and Daniel Muhammad Nuff, both went several hours ahead of opening at Apple’s outlet in the city’s iconic Marina Bay Mall, and said it was their first new phone in years.

Citing fresh design, longer battery life and improved cameras, they said the new phones provide enough to keep them faithful to the Apple ecosystem.

At the Orchard outlet in Singapore, Singapore’s Orchard, it was even longer at the city-state’s major shopping centres, with another queue for those who pre-ordered their iPhones.

Based on pre-order times and consumer feedback, the initial global demand for the iPhone 17 series appears largely positive, according to Omdia research manager Le Xuan Chiew.

The iPhone 17 base model in particular exceeds expectations as its predecessor pricing remains the same as its predecessor despite the upgrades in memory storage.

In Singapore, customers arriving at Apple’s outlets were hoping to win a portion of the company’s new AirPods Pro 3, citing the product’s live translation capabilities as a major selling point.

A successful launch of the iPhone 17 will help reassure Apple investors after a long time since it was far from the exciting development of artificial intelligence capabilities that began late last year.

Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” last week, CCS Insight chief analyst Ben Wood praised Apple’s latest product launch, but said the company needs to offer artificial intelligence.

“There’s no doubt Apple needs to provide AI,” he said. Last year, the company said it “dropped the ball” by fulfilling its big promise that failed to materialize. Such plans are currently being promoted next year.

“Apple needs to catch up (with AI), but for now I think they have enough runways to handle the period between them.”

-CNBC’s Eunice Yoon contributed to this report