A large number of customers queue up to experience Apple's new products on September 22, 2023, in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. Photo: VCG

Apple's latest iPhone 15 series and watches became available for in-store pickup on Friday, and fans were lining up in Apple stores across China, defying foreign media hype about the US tech giant's difficulties in the Chinese market.

Despite criticism about a lack of innovation and facing challenges from Huawei's new Mate 60 lineup, the new iPhone 15 series has been a big hit among Chinese consumers. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max model were sold out on most e-commerce platforms.

The booming sales offered a rebuff to Western media claims about Apple sales dipping in China due to tighter scrutiny.

"China did not issue any law, regulation or policy that bans the purchase and use of foreign cellphones," Mao Ning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on September 13.

Apple fans started gathering to pick up their new iPhones at stores as early as 6 am. As of 3 pm, hundreds were still queuing inside and outside the stores, and more customers were arriving.

To cope with the booming orders, all Apple flagship stores in the Chinese mainland brought forward their Friday opening hours to 8 am from the usual 10 am.

After the phones sold out on most e-commerce platforms, the delivery time listed on Apple's official website was pushed into November. Some consumers tried other sources, including food takeout platforms. On Eleme, the iPhone turnover exceeded 10 times the amount in normal days, and searches with the keyword "iPhone" rose by 83 times.

However, while the top of the line models have had booming sales in China, the more standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models have proved less popular. On Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo.com, these two products were selling with 500-yuan ($68) discounts and there was plenty of stock.

Every year after the release of a new iPhone lineup, there is normally a period of time when consumers have to buy iPhones with a markup through third parties, but this year most of the new models were sold below the release price in first day sales, with only the Pro Max versions having a markup, a Nanjing cell phone industry insider surnamed Fan, told Global Times on Friday.

Some Chinese netizens expressed dissatisfaction with the latest iPhone 15, with some arguing that Apple's new models lack innovation and the update is "no surprise" and like "squeezing toothpaste."

The launch of the Huawei Mate 60 pro also squeezed Apple's share of the high-end market, even though Huawei's new phone has had a price hike of more than 1,000 yuan, said Fan.

With Huawei's return to the high-end smartphone market in China, Apple may face growing challenges in its second-largest market. Sources close to Huawei disclosed that due to the unexpectedly strong performance, Huawei has raised its shipment target for the Mate 60 series phones by 20 percent for the second half of the year.