Hong Kong iPhone X Orders

[midlevels]

I ordered at 7 past the launch hour (3:07pm local time, 12:07am PT) because that's when the store opened. Was quoted a lead time of 4-5 weeks during ordering but when I got the order confirmation email it had changed to 2nd-9th December.

What dates have another Hong Kong customers got and have there been any bumps? Have any Hong Kong customers who ordered from Apple actually received phones yet?

I see that there is stock available more or less everywhere (except Hong Kong) and all other countries are getting shipment bumps but here in HK there is just no movement at all, and it's impossible to even get a reservation to buy in store.

So far my order is still showing 2nd-9th December.

Any other Hong Kongers out there?

 

[tpr007]

I couldn't get an order for delivery.
I managed, at 8am yesterday, to get a walk-in reservation: Buying the iPhone X in Hong Kong (with unboxing and 7+ comparison)

 

[midlevels]

I’ve been trying to get a reservation but failing. It’s frustrating to no end. Keep on clicking through everything and filling out details and when I finally click reserve and enter the password, it says this order is no longer available. Happened at least 6-7 times. Crazy.

The lack of availability in Hong Kong is frustrating when in other places they stock enough phones that people can walk in and buy with no reservation.

 

[pop2video]

I couldn't get an order for delivery.
I managed, at 8am yesterday, to get a walk-in reservation: Buying the iPhone X in Hong Kong (with unboxing and 7+ comparison)

Didn’t order but using it now
do the iReserve on the Apple store app at 8:00am (no sms needed) and pickup at the time you want in the same day

 

[midlevels]

Didn’t order but using it now
do the iReserve on the Apple store app at 8:00am (no sms needed) and pickup at the time you want in the same day

Tried that - easier said than done. I have very quick fingers and have memorised the whole flow but apparently not fast enough. Today they didn’t have any 256GB for reservation at all.

 

[tpr007]

I tried the website, but the official Apple Store app seems to be the best way.

I made sure my address, credit card, everything was all correctly filled in and the iPhones were in my "favourites"

 

[mofei1]

You have to be very lucky to get one reserved via iReserve. Too many robots used by scalpers.

I got fed up waking up everyday at 8am in the hopes to get one reserved so ended up going to sin sat plaza in mk and paid an extra $400 Hong Kong dollars over retail on Sunday to get mine.

Some of the shops there can give you the apple receipt too, so shouldn’t have any warranty issues.

 

[midlevels]

I tried the website, but the official Apple Store app seems to be the best way.

I made sure my address, credit card, everything was all correctly filled in and the iPhones were in my "favourites"

That’s what I did for pre-launch order and that worked fine. Only issue is that store opened way late after 3:01 local.

Now I’m trying to reserve via Apple Store app to get a phone earlier and it’s proving impossible.

 

[pop2video]

Tried that - easier said than done. I have very quick fingers and have memorised the whole flow but apparently not fast enough. Today they didn’t have any 256GB for reservation at all.

Maybe I’m lucky to get the 256gb silver through iReserve. Hope you get yours shortly.

 

[midlevels]

Tried again today at 8am sharp, didn't even see the option to get any 256GB models. There was just 64GB of available. Not sure if Apple is really just not releasing any 256GB stock into stores or if people are getting it before me, but if so I can't fathom how as I had it up few seconds after 8am and there was nothing. Surely there can't be people that much faster...?

 

[mofei1]

Tried again today at 8am sharp, didn't even see the option to get any 256GB models. There was just 64GB of available. Not sure if Apple is really just not releasing any 256GB stock into stores or if people are getting it before me, but if so I can't fathom how as I had it up few seconds after 8am and there was nothing. Surely there can't be people that much faster...?

People are using robots to reserve. Mainly scalpers...

 

[midlevels]

People are using robots to reserve. Mainly scalpers...

How does one use a robot on the iOS App? If on the desktop it can't be that quick as they have to send & receive an SMS.

 

[mofei1]

How does one use a robot on the iOS App? If on the desktop it can't be that quick as they have to send & receive an SMS.

The bots makes the iReserve process completely automatic. SMS is not a problem as they can also send and receive sms. Some bots also run on android. Here’s an example of one:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.iphonecheck.applebot

 

[areyes163]

And that’s why I hate scalpers. They ruin everything. I refuse to use them. If everyone stopped buying from them they would quit. Like with concerts. They buy a crap ton of tickets to resell for higher.

 

[midlevels]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.iphonecheck.applebot

Bugger, if this is what we’re up against then no wonder it’s impossible. I have an android temp phone and could install it but really am not comfortable putting my Apple ID credentials into this random app.

With all the news that scalpers aren’t able to get too much of a a premium I’m surprised they still think it’s worth their while.

I just wish that Apple would ship pre-orders First In First Out which they are so blatantly not doing. That part is upsetting - not that there is legitimately a lead time issue but that they are letting huge swaths of people jump the queue so those who ordered early are SOL while many who ordered late already have phones in hand.

 

[AnTiGoD]

Bugger, if this is what we’re up against then no wonder it’s impossible. I have an android temp phone and could install it but really am not comfortable putting my Apple ID credentials into this random app.

With all the news that scalpers aren’t able to get too much of a a premium I’m surprised they still think it’s worth their while.

I just wish that Apple would ship pre-orders First In First Out which they are so blatantly not doing. That part is upsetting - not that there is legitimately a lead time issue but that they are letting huge swaths of people jump the queue so those who ordered early are SOL while many who ordered late already have phones in hand.

Keep in mind that mostly those scalpers sell the phones in Mainland China... then selling it for about 11000RMB - 12000RMB gives them a nice profit on each phone.

I didn't pre-order nor did i get in line for an iPhone X, but i had mine on November 2nd in the evening through "scalpers".

I must admit tho, that the "scalpers/resellers" are not making as much profit as previous years with iPhones directly after launch and the iPhone X supply doesn't seem to run out with them either, which makes it seem that the iPhone X is not short of supply at all.

 

[midlevels]

Is there anyone else out there from Hong Kong who successfully placed a pre-order on 27th Oct? If so what ship date did you get promised and has there been any movement?

 

[mofei1]

Bugger, if this is what we’re up against then no wonder it’s impossible. I have an android temp phone and could install it but really am not comfortable putting my Apple ID credentials into this random app.

With all the news that scalpers aren’t able to get too much of a a premium I’m surprised they still think it’s worth their while.

I just wish that Apple would ship pre-orders First In First Out which they are so blatantly not doing. That part is upsetting - not that there is legitimately a lead time issue but that they are letting huge swaths of people jump the queue so those who ordered early are SOL while many who ordered late already have phones in hand.

Bugger, if this is what we’re up against then no wonder it’s impossible. I have an android temp phone and could install it but really am not comfortable putting my Apple ID credentials into this random app.

With all the news that scalpers aren’t able to get too much of a a premium I’m surprised they still think it’s worth their while.

I just wish that Apple would ship pre-orders First In First Out which they are so blatantly not doing. That part is upsetting - not that there is legitimately a lead time issue but that they are letting huge swaths of people jump the queue so those who ordered early are SOL while many who ordered late already have phones in hand.

Yes it’s been like this for the past 5 years in hk. Always need to wait weeks or months after launch to get hold of one.

And that’s why I hate scalpers. They ruin everything. I refuse to use them. If everyone stopped buying from them they would quit. Like with concerts. They buy a crap ton of tickets to resell for higher.

The price of the iPhone is always more expensive in the mainland. Most of the scalpers earn money from

Is there anyone else out there from Hong Kong who successfully placed a pre-order on 27th Oct? If so what ship date did you get promised and has there been any movement?

Yes I Pre-ordered in 27th Oct and got a delivery date of 18/11 - 25/11. No movement as of yet...

 

[midlevels]

Yes I Pre-ordered in 27th Oct and got a delivery date of 18/11 - 25/11. No movement as of yet...

Can I ask how did you order (website or app) and at what time? Did you get quoted 4-5 weeks or 3-4 weeks?

 

[mofei1]

Can I ask how did you order (website or app) and at what time? Did you get quoted 4-5 weeks or 3-4 weeks?

Quoted 3-4 weeks. Ordered via the iOS app

 

[midlevels]

Quoted 3-4 weeks. Ordered via the iOS app

That's lucky. I was reloading the iOS app after 3:01 for the longest time and it wouldn't come back, kept on saying that store will be back soon, around 3:05 onwards I tried website as well as iOS and that wouldn't load either. At 3:06 or 3:07 the website loaded (the iOS app still didn't) and I ordered from the website, quoted 4-5 weeks but when I got the confirmation email, it had slipped to 5-6 weeks.

I wish you luck getting your phone, hopefully should be soon. Keep us updated when you get charged and it goes to preparing to ship!

 

[Chancha]

I ordered on day1 via AOS and got quoted 5-6 weeks, felt pretty happy, but a few hours later got email from Apple saying my payment wasn't authorized and the order was canceled. Turned out a few credit cards, namely Standard Chartered's which I used, had server timeout issues where many iPhone buyers also got screwed.

Since Nov 3 I have been trying to IR (iReserve) but literally the bots would wipe the stock within seconds. This morning I got fed up and finally stopped trying. More and more I appreciate how my 7 still works great, and playing around the X in stores kind of tells me to wait for the next model.

 

[wchigo]

Keep in mind that mostly those scalpers sell the phones in Mainland China... then selling it for about 11000RMB - 12000RMB gives them a nice profit on each phone.

I didn't pre-order nor did i get in line for an iPhone X, but i had mine on November 2nd in the evening through "scalpers".

I must admit tho, that the "scalpers/resellers" are not making as much profit as previous years with iPhones directly after launch and the iPhone X supply doesn't seem to run out with them either, which makes it seem that the iPhone X is not short of supply at all.

While certainly true in past years, it seems to be a bit different this year.

I have also seen people quoting prices of around RMB 11,488 on day one for the 256GB configurations, by Sunday evening I had already seen a lot of prices fall to around RMB 9880, which is a drop of 1520 in just two days. A fairly significant drop in a short amount of time, way more than I've ever seen in past years.

 

[AnTiGoD]

While certainly true in past years, it seems to be a bit different this year.

I have also certainly seen people quoting prices of around RMB 11,488 on day one for the 256GB configurations, by Sunday evening I had already seen a lot of prices fall to around RMB 9880, which is a drop of 1520 in just two days. A fairly significant drop in a short amount of time, way more than I've ever seen in past years.

True True, I'm living in Shenzhen, China (Mainland).

I kinda addressed the point you were making in the final part of my post (without mentioning prices).

Prices dropping so rapidly and honestly, i walked into a store (Coodoo) near my home in a mall and they were selling the iPhone X while having stock (this was around 8PM - 9PM on Sunday).

It seems the supply of the iPhone X is much higher than as told by Apple or the demand for it is just extremely low.

 

[wchigo]

True True, I'm living in Shenzhen, China (Mainland).

I kinda addressed the point you were making in the final part of my post (without mentioning prices).

Prices dropping so rapidly and honestly, i walked into a store (Coodoo) near my home in a mall and they were selling the iPhone X while having stock (this was around 8PM - 9PM on Sunday).

It seems the supply of the iPhone X is much higher than as told by Apple or the demand for it is just extremely low.

True, looking back on your post you did. I actually meant to post it as more of a complimentary piece, but the way I worded it definitely came off more aggro than intended. I'm also currently living in Mainland (Guangzhou).

I heard from some people, so take it with a grain of salt, that stock was more readily available in Mainland this time around. So while prices are higher compared to HK when buying directly from Apple, it's still cheaper to buy directly from Apple China then it is to buy from scalpers. I mean RMB 9880 from resellers (authorized or otherwise) is not all that different from RMB 9688 from Apple China, and you're basically just paying 200 extra to get it now rather than having to wait 3-4 weeks.

That being said, if it means scalpers are more easily deterred now and I can get my new iPhone 1) at a minor increase over retail or 2) at retail price earlier than 2 months after the new phone is released as per previous years, I'm happy. I'm probably going to pop down to HK next weekend and try my luck and if I can't find it from Apple direct, I might do the same as a previous poster and just pay a 400 HKD premium to get my phone.