Worldwide queues, mayhem, and enthusiasm as Apple iPhone 17 hits stores
Huge queues and a little mayhem as Apple’s all-new iPhones hit stores…
There’s usually a lot of people in the queue when new iPhones go on sale, but this year feels a little more intense than it has for a while, with reports of big crowds outside the company’s stores across following the dawn this morning.
APAC goes for it
Enthusiasts lined up outside Apple stores for days in Taiwan, where carriers offered early-bird inducements to buy. The first person in the queue showed up to pick up an iPhone 17 Pro Max in blue.
Apple stores in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Kuala Lumpur all experienced huge queues with many queuing through the night to grab the new device. In Sydney, queues formed from 5am, but by the time the doors opened three hours later police had to be called in to manage the huge crowd. “Sydney Apple Store a little crazy with everyone waiting to collect their new iPhone,” wrote one person on social media.
Still big in China
Strong interest endures in China, where hundreds of people queued outside stores in Beijing. Chiew Le Xuan, Omdia senior analyst expects iPhone shipments in China to rise 11% year over year, contributing to 5% full-year growth for Apple in 2025. “The iPhone 17 Pro Max is likely to become Apple’s top-performing model in the Chinese market in 2026,” the analyst said.
In Singapore, Apple opened its Orchard Road store doors to cheers and applause from the 250 people gathered outside to grab a new iPhone. Fans literally counted down to store opening at 8am, some had travelled in to get one of the devices from Vietnam.
iPassion hits India
The doors opened to massive crowds also in India. Speaking at an Apple store in Bengaluru, Gauri Shankar said, “This is my first time in an Apple Store. I am very excited and now I am waiting for the iPhone 18.”
Apple’s Mumbai store saw two huge queues form. “Apple fever is quite high among the public,” one shopper said. It sure was – there was actually a fight between anxious shoppers seeking to get to the front of the queue (watch it here). People waited outside Apple’s New Delhi store for hours before opening, so tempers became frayed. Perhaps they really need to use Apple’s mindfulness tools?
We’re seeing massive traction across the Middle East. In Dubai, queues had formed by 6am, with many choosing the new bright orange model. It is important to note that customers had to pre-order the device to gain admission to the stores, which means people in the Dubai queues already knew they’d get the device – they just couldn’t wait.
Europe excited as US stores open for business
As the doors open to shoppers in the US, queues also greeted the introduction in London, where people began queueing in the wee small hours. Those queues are longer than we saw last year, suggesting there is much more interest in the iPhone 17 range.
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