Today, Apple’s annual flagship iPhone 17 series is officially on sale, and offline stores are once again rushing to buy it, reflecting Apple’s brand appeal. However, the iPhone 17 Pro was disliked by scalpers and they all refused to accept it. It is said that the main reason for scalpers' rejection is that there are too many Pro versions in stock. Apple customer service told the "BUG" column that there is no relevant stocking data for the time being; in addition, various e-commerce platforms have also launched corresponding subsidies, which are much more favorable than Apple's official pricing after adding subsidies. They also require face-to-face signature for activation, which to a certain extent also reduces the room for scalpers to make the difference.
Article | "BUG" column Zhang Jun
The iPhone Air, which only supports eSIM, was not released at the same time. The customer service staff of the three major operators told the "BUG" column that the eSIM mobile phone business is ready, but the specific opening time still needs to be notified. In addition, the iPhone 17 series is also facing attacks from Huawei. On the eve of the launch of sales, Huawei suddenly announced price reductions ranging from 1,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan for a number of high-end mobile phones in the Mate X6, Pura 80 series, and Mate 70 series.
“Too many goods”
Every year on the first day of release of new Apple phones, many Apple fans line up to buy them at offline stores. Since the first batch of stock is limited, it will naturally attract some scalpers to purchase and resell on the spot.
Today, Apple's iPhone 17 series models are officially on sale, and some Apple offline stores also have long queues. Users hope to be the first to experience the new products, or to directly sell them to scalpers at a higher price after purchase to earn a certain price difference.
It is reported that different versions of models have different price premiums in the hands of scalpers. In comparison, scalpers prefer the iPhone 17 Pro Max version, with a price increase ranging from a few hundred yuan to a thousand yuan; while the standard version and Pro version have a smaller price increase.
According to media reports, some scalpers even directly rejected the iPhone 17 Pro, saying, "There are too many people selling it, and there are too many products." Several digital bloggers also posted that scalpers only favor the Max version, and the Pro version cannot be sold at a high price.
An Apple store staff member told the "BUG" column that all offline stores of the iPhone 17 series are currently sold out. If you need to purchase, you can apply for a stock transfer, but you will have to wait.
The "BUG" column saw on an e-commerce platform that the standard version of iPhone 17 is currently sold out. Individual versions of iPhone 17 Pro can be purchased directly or reserved for the next round of purchase. Most of the iPhone 17 Pro Max has been sold out, and only the 2TB version can be reserved for the next round of purchase.
According to Qunzhi Consulting data, Apple's full range of iPhone 17 mobile phones will have nearly 100 million units in stock in 2025, an increase of approximately 20 million units compared with the previous generation iPhone 16 series mobile phones in the same period. This data is a three-year high. Pro and Max models have become the bulk of the inventory, accounting for 65% of the total inventory.
Is the Pro version rejected by scalpers because of too much stock? Apple customer service told the "BUG" column that there is currently no relevant data.
In addition to stocking reasons, product strength may also be one of the factors. The iPhone 17 standard version starts at 5,999 yuan, which is still the same level as last year, but the starting storage is directly upgraded to 256GB, and the screen is also upgraded to 120Hz high refresh rate. It can be said that there is no increase in price for increasing the quantity. The iPhone 17 Pro is priced at 8,999 yuan, which is the only model that has seen a price increase. It is about 1,000 yuan higher than last year’s iPhone 16 Pro.
Various e-commerce platforms have also launched corresponding subsidies. After superimposing subsidies, the prices are much more favorable than Apple's official pricing. This also reduces the room for scalpers to make the difference to a certain extent. Take Pinduoduo as an example. The iPhone 17 standard version only costs 5,096 yuan after grabbing coupons. It also requires face-to-face signature for activation to prevent scalpers from snapping up and reselling.
eSIM version extension
In addition, there is an iPhone Air that only supports eSIM and was not released on the same day. iPhone Air will adopt a design that only supports eSIM globally, and the phone will no longer be equipped with a physical card slot.
At the previous press conference, Apple’s official website stated that China Unicom was the only supported iPhone eSIM operator. To activate eSIM on iPhone Air, please go to the China Unicom business hall. However, due to the progress of eSIM support, the release of iPhone Air had to be postponed. The "BUG" column was seen on Apple's official website. Apple said that iPhone Air sales information will be updated later, and all models will be released after approval. In mainland China, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom will provide eSIM support for this product. The specific time is subject to regulatory approval.
Regarding when the eSIM function of iPhone Air will be supported, China Unicom customer service told the "BUG" column that China Unicom has launched eSIM operation services on wearables, Internet of Things, laptops and tablets, and plans to launch commercial trials of eSIM mobile phone operation services when conditions are met.
China Mobile customer service stated that China Mobile already supports eSIM mobile phone business, and will be notified later when the service will be opened.
China Telecom’s customer service stated that China Telecom’s eSIM mobile phone business is fully ready, and it is expected that Apple 17 eSIM mobile phone business processing services will be opened to users soon this month. Please pay attention to the specific opening time.
In addition to the delayed release of iPhone Air, Apple is also facing attacks from Huawei.
On the eve of the official launch of the iPhone 17 series, Huawei suddenly announced price reductions for a number of high-end mobile phones such as the Mate X6, Pura 80 series, and Mate 70 series. Among them, Huawei Mate X6 has a maximum price reduction of 2,000 yuan, Pura 80 series has a maximum price reduction of 1,500 yuan, and Mate 70 series has a maximum price reduction of 1,000 yuan.
According to China’s mobile phone market data for the second quarter of this year recently released by IDC, Huawei shipped 12.5 million units and returned to the top spot with a market share of 18.1%; Apple’s market share was 13.9%, ranking fifth. As of now, the iPhone 17 series is on sale, and the competition between the two parties in the high-end market will become increasingly fierce.