Apple Begins Accepting iPhone 5s Reservations in China, Multiple Models Sold Out

[MacRumors]

Customers in China and Hong Kong who are aiming to purchase an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c in an Apple Store are now able to make reservations for the device on Apple's website.

Reserve iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c online today for pickup at an Apple Retail Store beginning September 20. When you come in, we'll help you pick the right rate plan, transfer your contacts, set up your email, and more.

Apple's reservation system, which was revamped last year, is designed to thwart would-be scalpers, an issue that has plagued Apple releases in China for years.

Under the system, consumers are able to reserve a phone for pickup, but are still required to visit an Apple Retail Store on launch day to purchase and setup the device.

It appears that initial supplies of the iPhone 5s are limited, and multiple stores have sold out of all models of the iPhone 5s, though some are still offering the "Space Gray" 16GB version. Most models of the iPhone 5c remain in stock.

Apple is not accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5s. Instead, U.S. customers will be able to purchase the device online beginning at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on Friday, September 20 and at 8:00 AM in retail locations. Order periods for the rest of the world appear to be staggered, with online ordering times varying based on local time.

Article Link: Apple Begins Accepting iPhone 5s Reservations in China, Multiple Models Sold Out

 

[haruhiko]

This year Apple implemented a new SMS confirmation system that requires customers to send an SMS to a designated local number by a local registered mobile phone number, and a confirmation code will then be sent back to that phone and the code is required on the reservation webpage, practically blocking out mainland Chinese who try to reserve all iPhones in Hong Kong.

The reservation opened at 6am in Hong Kong and the server was instantly overloaded probably by traffic from mainland China and was not accessible until after 7:30am when the mainland Chinese realised that they could not simply reserve phones by automated process ("bots").

 

[Buttersbottom]

no one wants the small black one.

 

[stephen1108]

Hopefully this will be implemented in the US....

 

[techpr]

no one wants the small black one.

Apple must to Kill the 16GB model already

32, 64, 128.

 

[orangebluedevil]

5C preorders all say 1-2 weeks in HK, judging from store.apple.com/hk

 

[haruhiko]

5C preorders all say 1-2 weeks in HK, judging from store.apple.com/hk

Physical Apple Store reservation =/= Apple Online Store pre-orders. Today's reservation is for picking up the iPhones on launch day 20th September 2013. Conincidentally, 20/9 is a public holiday in Hong Kong so I can go to the store and pick it up.

 

[orangebluedevil]

Physical Apple Store reservation =/= Apple Online Store pre-orders. Today's reservation is for picking up the iPhones on launch day 20th September 2013. Conincidentally, 20/9 is a public holiday in Hong Kong so I can go to the store and pick it up.

Even for 5C? Here in US, preorder means it shows up at your home on launch day 9/20. Absoutely could be different there, just trying to learn.

What's the page to see this 5S stock for HK/CHina? i can't find it, located in US

 

[haruhiko]

Even for 5C? Here in US, preorder means it shows up at your home on launch day 9/20. Absoutely could be different there, just trying to learn.

What's the page to see this 5S stock for HK/CHina? i can't find it, located in US

http://www.apple.com/hk/en/retail

 

[sniffies]

I can't believe the space gray model is not popular AT ALL.

I'm so tired of my white iPhone that I'm going with the black one this time around, which happens to be the space gray model.

 

[haruhiko]

I can't believe the space gray model is not popular AT ALL.

I'm so tired of my white iPhone that I'm going with the black one this time around, which happens to be the space gray model.

The black one is most prone to [edit: visible coloring altering] scratches

 

[Brandon263]

This year Apple implemented a new SMS confirmation system that requires customers to send an SMS to a designated local number by a local registered mobile phone number, and a confirmation code will then be sent back to that phone and the code is required on the reservation webpage, practically blocking out mainland Chinese who try to reserve all iPhones in Hong Kong.

The reservation opened at 6am in Hong Kong and the server was instantly overloaded probably by traffic from mainland China and was not accessible until after 7:30am when the mainland Chinese realised that they could not simply reserve phones by automated process ("bots").

Actually, Apple also used a text message confirmation system for booking reservations in mainland China, and the system also went online at about 7:40ish in the mainland, and was showing an error message before then. Apple seemed to have had trouble with their reservation system.

I'd hazard a guess that most mainland Chinese actually prefer to buy their iPhones in China rather than Hong Kong because paying US$143 more to buy the phone in China is worth not going through the hassle and cost of going back and forth between China and Hong Kong.

 

[sniffies]

The black one is most prone to scratches

Wrong.

All models are prone to scratches. It's just a matter of visibility of those scratches.

 

[haruhiko]

Actually, Apple also used a text message confirmation system for booking reservations in mainland China, and the system also went online at about 7:40ish in the mainland, and was showing an error message before then. Apple seemed to have had trouble with their reservation system.

I'd hazard a guess that most mainland Chinese actually prefer to buy their iPhones in China rather than Hong Kong because paying US$143 to buy the phone in China is worth not going through the hassle and cost of going back and forth between China and Hong Kong.

A base unlocked iPhone 5s in China costs RMB5,288, which is ~HK$6,698 i.e. 17.8% higher than in Hong Kong. Most of the people who used bot to paralyze the website are scalpers and this profit margin is attractive to them. Of course a bona fide purchaser in China won't go through all the hassle but scalpers don't care. Going back and forth between China and Hong Kong costs less than HK$100.

 

[Brandon263]

A base unlocked iPhone 5s in China costs RMB5,288, which is ~HK$6,698 i.e. 17.8% higher than in Hong Kong. Most of the people who used bot to paralyze the website are scalpers and this profit margin is attractive to them. Of course a bona fide purchaser in China won't go through all the hassle but scalpers don't care. Going back and forth between China and Hong Kong costs less than HK$100.

No, actually, going back and forth between China and Hong Kong costs way much more than HK$100, unless you're living in Guangdong, and even then, you'd have to be living in Shenzhen to pay only HK$100 to get a return train ticket to Hong Kong.

I'm not familiar with the scalping business, but I don't see why scalpers would use bots to access both Apple's Hong Kong website and its China website. As both websites went up at roughly the same time, I'd say that Apple simply delayed/was having trouble getting both sites up, not that mysterious Chinese scalpers were trying to get low-priced iPhones from Hong Kong.

Anyone who has pre-ordered iPhones online in the US knows that sometimes Apple says that they'll start accepting at one time only to have them have the website up at another, later time.

 

[Al3004]

SMS to register ?

You would have thought that Apple would be using iMessage for those who used their iOS device to register instead of SMS.

 

[iSayuSay]

...
Most models of the iPhone 5c remain in stock.

Best quote of the day ... Hope it will be tanked soon and makes Apple learn what "cheap" means.

 

[iMcLovin]

GUess we won´t be seeing this phone in Scandinavia for quite a while. Can´t belive Apple manages to do this same mistake every time they release a product.

 

[macs4nw]

Best quote of the day ... Hope it will be tanked soon and makes Apple learn what "cheap" means.

Apple themselves never once said they were coming out with a 'cheap phone'. That was all speculated by rumor sites, columnists and bloggers. You know better, they don't market 'cheap' products. Perhaps it was also wishful thinking on our part.

Still I believe there is a healthy market for the 5C; let's face it, it's not even released yet, pre-orders only. Way too early to write it off as a failure.

 

[JarJarThomas]

Best quote of the day ... Hope it will be tanked soon and makes Apple learn what "cheap" means.

"We dont make cheap phones" Tim Cook.
5C is not a CHEAP phone. It is better than most androids out there. It is a improved iÜhone5 in a new case.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Best quote of the day ... Hope it will be tanked soon and makes Apple learn what "cheap" means.

It would send a clear message to Apple if most sales focused on the iPhone 5s in China. Apple is really pushing the slightly less expensive iPhone 5C with last years tech in order to make huge margins.

 

[Mactendo]

So, the Cheap and Chinese 5c isn't popular in China. Fail, Mr. Cook. We're eagerly awaiting your apologies letter. And let Ive sign in advance, for the tomorrow release of iOS 7.
Or better fire yourself.

 

[BSDanalyst]

China and their bots never fail to amaze me..

 

[krewger]

I'm still laughing as people whine that the 5c is not cheap. Apple isn't a cheap brand just like Porsche isn't. Porsche does not compete with Baseline Toyota. It's not Porsche's focus to make entry level cars and it's not Apple's focus to do that with their product lines either. That doesn't mean that a entry level Toyota isn't a good reliable product. Those sell well. Apple and Porsche just aren't interested in catering to the low end, yes there is missed sale opportunities because they do this but long as they are making a profit and have a loyal customer base that keeps spending money with high profit margins then it's not a problem. Analysts need to shut up and go get a real job. Selling one premium product with a high profit margin is way better than having to produce five or ten low profit margin items to make the same money.

 

[lk400]

Best quote of the day ... Hope it will be tanked soon and makes Apple learn what "cheap" means.

I'm quite certain that they know what it means, but I am curious when they every said they were doing a cheap phone, or that the 5C was that cheap phone. If they were never aiming for cheap, its a bit hard to claim they missed the mark.