Chinese flock to launch of iPhone 17

Hundreds of people lined up at Apple's flagship store in Beijing on the launch day of the iPhone 17 yesterday in a sign that sales of the series are off to a promising start in the world’s second largest economy.

- CHE PAN BRENDA GOH

Among the roughly 300 people that arrived in the morning at Apple's store in downtown Sanlitun to pick up phones ordered online was Shuke Wang, 35, who said he purchased the Pro Max model, priced from 9,999 yuan ($1,406 or 44,800 baht) in China and pegged by analysts to be the bestselling model in the 17 series.

“I really like the 17 series’ redesign, and I think the orange-coloured one looks good, but too flashy. The Air Model looks good too, but the Pro Max gives longer battery life,” he said.

Apple says the base model iPhone 17 has a brighter, more scratch-resistant screen, and will also have a better front-facing camera that will make horizontal selfies look better.