iPhone 16 Series Faces Cold Reception: Scalpers Lose Their Luster, Price Drops Appear

iPhone 16 Series Faces Cold Reception: Scalpers Lose Their Luster, Price Drops AppearAccording to media reports, in previous years, the first batch of new iPhones would be snapped up by scalpers who could resell them to used phone dealers for an extra 800 yuan. However, the market for Apple devices has cooled considerably

iPhone 16 Series Faces Cold Reception: Scalpers Lose Their Luster, Price Drops Appear

According to media reports, in previous years, the first batch of new iPhones would be snapped up by scalpers who could resell them to used phone dealers for an extra 800 yuan. However, the market for Apple devices has cooled considerably. An industry insider familiar with the market said that in scalper groups, most were targeting the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Used phone dealers have repeatedly warned that the iPhone 16 will experience price drops in the secondary market.

This phenomenon is supported by market data. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have already seen price drops on e-commerce platforms like Pinduoduo, with a starting price of 5799 yuan. This aligns with reports from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who stated that iPhone 16 series pre-orders in the first weekend reached approximately 37 million units, a 12.7% decline compared to the iPhone 15 series in the same period last year and below Apple's expectations.

Kuo analyzes that AppleIntelligence, mentioned multiple times during Apple's launch event, highlights Apple's emphasis on AI. However, AppleIntelligence was not launched alongside the iPhone 16, with non-English versions delayed until next year. This delay may have contributed to consumer hesitancy towards the new models.

Furthermore, data from IDC shows that the Chinese smartphone market shipped approximately 71.58 million units in the second quarter of 2024, representing an 8.9% year-over-year increase, continuing the upward trend. However, Apple's shipments decreased by 3.1%, dropping out of the top five. The top five in market share are vivo, Huawei, OPPO, Honor, and Xiaomi. Despite Apple's significant price reductions in May, its sales still failed to surpass Chinese smartphone brands.

Overall, the lukewarm reception to the iPhone 16 series, the diminished appeal of scalping, and the emergence of price drops reflect the pressure Apple faces in the market competition. This may be linked to factors such as insufficient product innovation, high prices, and the rise of Chinese smartphone brands. In the future, Apple needs to continuously enhance its product competitiveness to win over more consumers.