Apple’s iPhone Air sold out within minutes of its launch in China on Friday, underscoring the device’s popularity among Chinese consumers despite competition from Android devices.
The strong sales followed CEO Tim Cook’s visit this week to promote the product in the world’s largest smartphone market amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and the United States. As chairman of an advisory body at Tsinghua University’s management school, Cook also met Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Thursday.
Pre-sales for the iPhone Air, which supports only e-SIM and received regulatory approval to launch in China just recently, began at 9am local time (8am Thai time) on Friday – more than a month later than most of the world.
Minutes after bookings opened, the model was sold out at all bricks-and-mortar stores in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as in cities like Tianjin, according to Apple’s website. Online shipments were delayed by one to two weeks.
The robust demand reflects the positive reception of Apple’s newest and thinnest model in the Chinese market despite heightened competition from local brands such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi, which are striving to expand in the higher-end market in a challenging economy.
The Chinese smartphone market shrank 3% year on year in the third quarter, with Vivo capturing an 18% share to claim the top spot.
Huawei and Apple followed in second and third place with 16% and 15% shares, respectively, trailed by Xiaomi and Oppo.
Cook has emerged as one of the most prominent US business leaders actively engaging with Chinese consumers and government officials. On Thursday, he also met Commerce Minister Wang Wentao to discuss various topics, including bilateral economic and trade relations and Apple’s growth in China.
The CEO expressed Apple’s commitment to strengthening ties with China, contributing to the country’s “high-quality development” and fostering cooperation between the two nations, which he deemed essential for global economic progress, according to a statement from the Commerce Ministry.
Cook said on his personal Weibo account that Apple was collaborating with Beijing’s Anzhen Hospital, renowned for its cardiological research, to explore how Apple Watch users in China could use the device to monitor potential heart issues.
He also announced a donation to Tsinghua University to help “foster the next generation of environmental leaders”.