Reservations for unlocked iPhone 5s quickly depleted in China, other models remain available [u]

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Chinese customers looking to score a launch day reservation for an unlocked iPhone 5s may soon be out of luck, one report says, as the company has already run out of inventory at all three Beijing Apple Stores.

iPhone Reservations
Apple's Chinese iPhone reservation system. | Source: Sina Tech


Update: It appears that only the unlocked 16GB Space Gray iPhone 5s remains up for reservation in Beijing and Hong Kong.

According to Chinese language publication Sina Tech, the gold iPhone 5s appears to be one the most popular models in the country's capital city, with first day stock running out at the Sanlitun, Xidan Joy City, and Wangfujing Apple Stores just two hours after reservations went live on Tuesday, local Beijing time. The report goes on to say that other colors and capacities of the iPhone 5s were still available at the time of writing, but did not elaborate further.

It should be noted that only Beijing Apple Stores were included in the report, though the news sheds some light on Chinese demand for the handset. Both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c went up for reservations on Tuesday, with in-store pick-ups to commence on Sept. 20.

Apple is conducting Chinese iPhone sales a bit differently this year, and is requiring customers to text a special phone number to receive a booking code that can then be entered into the online reservation system. After that step is completed, customers choose a specific device configuration, provide a form of accepted government issued identification, and can then complete the purchase in-store at a designated time.

Apple's pick-up reservation system was first instituted with the iPhone 4S to control crowds and dissuade gray market sales of newly launched products.

While Apple has not provided iPhone 5c preorder numbers, much to the chagrin of investors, market watchers expect new deals with Japan's NTT DoCoMo and an anticipated agreement with China Mobile to drive an additional 35 million unit sales in 2014.

China Mobile, the world's largest cellular provider with over 740 million subscribers, has yet to announce a partnership with Apple, though the Chinese government granted the new iPhones a license to operate on the telecom's unique TD-LTE network last week, suggesting a deal has been inked.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    Gold and white are both sold out in China and HK. Only variants of the unlocked black 16GB remain available.
  • Reply 2 of 56

    Don't want to come across as viperish and contumelious, but: hey, analysts... ROFLMMFAO <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /> 

  • Reply 3 of 56
    The Black 32GB 5s was already sold out at 8:04 this morning :-/ (HK)

    Tom
  • Reply 4 of 56

    This is why we can't have nice things.

  • Reply 5 of 56

    There is no white 5s.

     

    There is no black 5s.

     

    If people are going to comment on the phones, at least get the colors right. You're only making things confusing, since there was a black iPhone 5 and white iPhone 5.

     

    There are three iPhone 5s colors, gold, silver and space grey.

  • Reply 6 of 56
    Hey Mr. Musk, and ms. Karen from CNBC it's time to eat crow. Especially ms. Karen who declared today on CNBC that she "lost confidence in Apple". Eat crow. ROFLMAO.
  • Reply 7 of 56
    For all those saying that the price of the 5C is still too high for China, do keep in mind how cheap monthly service is here compared to the U.S. I pay only about US$8 for my plan on China Unicom, which includes 240 SMS, 300 MB of data, and 50 minutes of voice. As in most countries, you are not charged for incoming SMS or voice.

    This means two years of service runs about US$200 instead of US$2000. A significant difference.
  • Reply 8 of 56
    Sorry apple ][ I meant "space-gray". Sorry that I commented without getting the colors right.
  • Reply 9 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TokyoJimu View Post



    For all those saying that the price of the 5C is still too high for China, do keep in mind how cheap monthly service is here compared to the U.S. I pay only about US$8 for my plan on China Unicom, which includes 240 SMS, 300 MB of data, and 50 minutes of voice. As in most countries, you are not charged for incoming SMS or voice.



    This means two years of service runs about US$200 instead of US$2000. A significant difference.

    Ah ha; so even with a higher price up front the total 2 yr cost is much lower in China.

    So all the negativity on the too high a cost iPhone 5C, from the "know it all" USA investment houses, is just a lot of hot air from dummies.

    Go Apple Go! Up and away $$$ !

  • Reply 10 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Krawall View Post



    Sorry apple ][ I meant "space-gray". Sorry that I commented without getting the colors right.

     

    No problem. I knew what you meant, I just pointed it out for the sake of accuracy, and because maybe somebody else might have gotten confused.

  • Reply 11 of 56
    "Can't sell no more - my ass!"
  • Reply 12 of 56
    sennensennen Posts: 1,472member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TokyoJimu View Post



    For all those saying that the price of the 5C is still too high for China,

     

    The price isn't too high for the segment of the market that Apple is targeting - that with disposable income to spend on things like iPhones. Think about this:

     

    Quote:

    Apple isn't interested in China's 1.2 billion mobile customers. They only interested in the (currently) 200 million who are able to pay a premium for quality: ie. the middle class.

    This segment of the market is expected to double it's current income by 2022 and they will number 3x the US's baby boomer generation by that time. Looking wider, Asia's middle class is expected to grow to 1.7 billion by 2022. It's these people that Apple is aiming for, with similar margins on products to which is has been garnering in Western markets all along.

    There's no reason at all for Apple to do "cheap" when dealing with these kinds of numbers, not for several years at least.



  • Reply 13 of 56
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
    Don't want to come across as viperish and contumelious, but: hey, analysts... ROFLMMFAO :lol:  

    Prepare yourself for them to claim the stock-outs are due to supply constraints.
  • Reply 14 of 56
    Clearly no-one in China wants the iPhone 5S lol.

    I think it's fairly obvious that there are two reasons a China Mobile hasn't materialized yet.

    1) Apple doesn't have enough of the iPhone 5S to meet the supply (Even though this is likely due to demand being insanely high, I'm sure Wall-street will spin this news as worries about "horrible yields"

    2) China Mobile is still working on preparing its network for a flood of iPhone 5C and 5S.

    I'd be more than happy to bet that China Mobile plans to offer very significant subsidies on the 5C and 5S, and possibly offer it free on contract.
  • Reply 15 of 56
    Hey Jeffries and Marketwatch and Forbes and LA Times and Wall Street Journal and motley Fool and other analysts:

    Suck on lemons you opportunistic fear mongering hacks.

    I'll stick with Apples.
  • Reply 16 of 56

    This was a ploy by the upper class to get the lower classes to sell their apple stock.

  • Reply 17 of 56

    So who was saying that iPhone 5C are expensive for Chinese Market? Apparently, they are eating up iPhone 5S, where they are making only $1000/Month median income. This goes to prove once again - All those financial analysts and especially all those dick heads and bitches at CNBC - Get a job where your level of intelligence works! You guys have no clues and are making statements and telling one of the top companies in the world in how they should be running their company.

     

    Go Apple! Wait until China Mobile deal is officially announced. The DOCOMO is going to bring in more customer in Japan also.

  • Reply 18 of 56
    Does anyone know when unlocked iPhone 5S will be available for shipping in the US ?
  • Reply 19 of 56
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member
    Once again wall street clever folks' guesses are just their imagination and agenda,

    Wall street FAIL.

    LOL
  • Reply 20 of 56
    https://ireservea.apple.com/CN/zh_CN/reserve/iPhone/checkAvailability

    This is the link for checking iPhone availability in all the 8 apple stores in China. iPhone 5s are out of stock in all 8 stores except that some stores still have 16 gb gray ones.
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