Apple’s new iPhone 17 series has created a huge explosion in the Chinese market. The phones, available for pre-order on Friday evening, surpassed the total pre-orders for last year’s iPhone 16 series for the entire day in just one minute. This record demand demonstrates that Apple is reaffirming its market dominance in China.

iPhone 17 is a hot commodity in China

Data shows that the standard iPhone 17 with 256GB of storage is the most popular model. These figures exclude the iPhone Air, whose release has been delayed due to ongoing eSIM negotiations with Chinese authorities.

The high demand caused access to the pre-order page on Apple’s official website. Appointments at Apple stores in Shanghai to pick up the iPhone 17 Pro Max on launch day sold out in just 20 minutes. Delivery of iPhone 17 models for customers in Guangzhou has been extended to October 15th.

Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC, said Apple has positioned its product line very well to address diverse user needs, and that this strategy will boost sales.

Market research firm TrendForce estimates that global shipments of the iPhone 17 series will increase by 3.5 percent compared to the iPhone 16. The Pro series will again be the main driver of this growth.

The iPhone Air, which replaces the Plus model, is also expected to deliver stronger sales performance. According to estimates, the iPhone Air will outsell the Plus model by 5 to 7 percent.