So far, so good for the iPhone 13 lineup in China.
More Chinese consumers are rushing to order Apple’s latest iPhone now than last year, according to a South China Morning Post report.
According to the report, more than 2 million pre-orders have been placed for the iPhone 13 through Apple’s official store on Chinese online retailer JD.com. That’s compared to last year’s 1.5 million pre-orders of the iPhone 12 on the site, it added.
The report also noted that consumer interest appears high on Alibaba’s Tmall platform, which starts pre-orders Friday.
The demand increase comes as homegrown smartphone giant Huawei struggles due to the U.S. supplier ban. Earlier this year, Huawei released its flagship Android phones without 5G support because of the supply constraints.
China remains one of Apple’s most important markets, and any signs of sales growth there will be important going into holiday quarter. It’s also a signal that there’s still strong interest in the iPhone 13, despite the fact that it’s a relatively small upgrade over last year’s model.
The report pointed toward weak competition in China as one of the factors boosting pre-orders. Apple’s competitor in China, Huawei, has continued to struggle under trade sanctions and hasn’t produced a similar premium phone.
