By Niall McCrossan, Spoke News
Apple launched its newest line of iPhones worldwide, along with the Apple Watch Series 4 last week on Sept. 21.
People around the globe gathered at Apple stores to get their hands on the newest devices, with the iPhone XS and XS Max finally being released to the public. On Sept. 12, the company unveiled its much anticipated new products, with the 5.8-inch iPhone XS and the 6.5-inch XS Max garnering the most attention. The Apple Watch Series 4 was also unveiled on that day.
At Waterloo’s Apple store in Conestoga Mall, customers were lined up and waiting for the new devices, with many spending hours in the cold and rain. Approximately 15 people waited overnight, according to Akshay Bhatia, an employee at Apple Store Conestoga. This paled in comparison to the 85 from last year’s iPhone X launch; however, those that showed up for the new phones were happy to get their hands on them.
“They were shaking and looked like they had been waiting all night,” Bhatia said. “Many people looked exhausted after spending the night, getting soaked in the rain. Many of them tried to pre-order but probably realized they would have been waiting longer than the release date, so they took their chances waiting.”
This year’s launch was not nearly as busy as last year’s. “This time it was more chill and people who didn’t get it Friday got it during the weekend so the wait wasn’t horrible,” Bhatia said.
Although the sales numbers are yet to be confirmed, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that iPhone XS Max demand is “better than expected,” according to a report by MacRumors.
“We have determined that the demand for XS Max is better than expected (3–4 times that of XS). The gold and space-grey colours are significantly more popular than the silver. 256GB is the most popular, and 512GB is subject to a serious shortage because only Samsung can currently ship NAND Flash well. We are positive that XS Max shipments will grow steadily in 4Q18 thanks to demand from Asia market and the gift season,” Kuo stated.
Kuo added that the Apple Watch Series 4 demand is also much better than expected but he believes that the iPhone XR will be more successful, with many customers upgrading to that model. The iPhone XR comes at a much lower price point but lacks some of the key features in the XS and XS Max models. iPhone XR pre-orders begin Oct. 19.
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