In an impressive debut, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have captured the attention of consumers in China, achieving remarkable sales numbers within the first week of availability. As Apple continues to consolidate its position in the premium smartphone market, the latest iteration of the iPhone series is showcasing its appeal, particularly in the world's largest smartphone market.
During the pre-order phase, interest soared, leading retailers to run out of available units quickly. Estimates indicate that around 7 million units were pre-ordered, with some stores reporting revenue that nearly doubled compared to the launch of the previous generation, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.
Following this robust start, blogger RD Observation reports that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have sold approximately 1.3 million units in just the first week after their launch in China. This figure reflects a 15% increase over the sales of the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max during their equivalent launch week, despite the latter models facing competition from the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
Notably, these sales account for 90% of the total sales for all iPhone models in China in their first week, indicating strong demand even without the introduction of new vanilla or Air models. It appears that Apple's strategy to push consumers toward the Pro variants is paying off, especially as a standard model launch is anticipated in the near future.
Interestingly, the iPhone 18 Pro Max emerged as the more favored choice among consumers, capturing 55.5% of the total sales. This trend differs from the pre-order phase, where the smaller Pro model accounted for 60% of reservations.
Despite price increases for the new models, Apple has been strategic in its adjustments. Prices for the 256GB and 512GB variants were raised by CNY 1,000 (about $150), while the higher-capacity 1TB and 2TB versions saw hikes of CNY 2,500 and CNY 3,500 respectively, even as the company continues to use slower QLC chips.
Check out our reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
Nevertheless, sales of the iPhone 18 Pro series in China might not reflect the same enthusiasm in other markets. For instance, while the price for the 256GB model rose by approximately 11% in China, the equivalent increase in the U.S. is around 9%. In Japan, however, the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro is priced at JPY 40,000 more than its predecessor—a significant jump of 22% from the previously adjusted price of the 17 Pro.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro
| 256GB 12GB RAM | € 1,449.00
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£ 1,199.00
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| 512GB 12GB RAM | € 1,699.00
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£ 1,399.00
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| Show all prices |
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
| 256GB 12GB RAM | € 1,599.00
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£ 1,299.00
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| 512GB 12GB RAM | € 1,849.00
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£ 1,499.00
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| Show all prices |
