Interface News Reporter | Lu Keyan
On September 11th, the second day after the release of the iPhone 16 and Huawei Mate XT, major distributors have begun actively preparing, although the two products have not yet been officially released.
The biggest update of the iPhone 16 series is Apple Intelligence, also known as the first artificial intelligence iPhone, priced from 5999 yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. However, the countries and regions where Apple Intelligence is currently available are still limited, and other language versions such as Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish will only be updated next year.
Usually, Apple adopts a distribution system for new products, where distributors are notified in advance to prepare the payment, and the latter can make the full payment as required. Both Apple and distributors need to decide on the second and third payments based on the first sales performance of the first phase.
An Apple distributor in the northwest region told Interface News, "Apple orders are all divided, and the first payment will definitely be required no matter how much. However, currently, there are relatively few customers inquiring about the iPhone 16 series, and their intention, interest, and popularity are far less than before. It depends on their endurance
Another Jiangxi dealer also stated that the current customer intention is indeed slightly weaker than last year. He analyzed that the lack of obvious upgrades to this generation of products may be one of the reasons for the decline in popularity, and the most critical upgrade to artificial intelligence has not yet been reflected in the Chinese market.
However, some scalpers who have long been paying attention to Apple still have relatively optimistic expectations, believing that the top of the line version similar to the "Pro Max Sand Gold 1TB" will have a premium, with an overall premium of around 800 to 1500 yuan, while the regular version will not have too exaggerated a premium, and its performance will remain the same as previous years.
The all-new Huawei three fold Mate XT has attracted more attention from scalpers. This is the world's first mass-produced three fold mobile phone, with a starting price of up to 19999 yuan.
On September 7th, Huawei Mate XT has already started pre ordering on Huawei's official website, and the number of pre orders has exceeded 4 million. However, online booking does not require a threshold and will not become a stocking basis for the supply chain.
According to Interface News, on platforms such as Dewu, the premium for Huawei Mate XT sold by sellers ranges from 10000 to 30000 yuan, with the highest selling price exceeding 100000 yuan. Just like when Huawei's first foldable screen Mate X was released every year, Mate XT has once again become a hot "electronic Maotai".
But the gimmick is only temporary. A channel vendor predicts that Huawei's discounted 512 version priced at 21999 yuan will become mainstream in terms of cost, and under normal circumstances in the future, the actual selling price will be within 30000 yuan. He said that in terms of Huawei's popularity, the premium and sales volume before the release of this product are not a problem. The key is that the target audience is still limited, and it depends on whether it can support the long-term cycle.
It is worth noting that both the iPhone 16 and Huawei Mate XT are not benchmark products in terms of price or positioning. At present, the Mate70 series, which will be released at the end of the year, and the HarmonyOS native system, which Huawei has heavily invested in this year, are truly competing with the iPhone 16 in terms of scale for the high-end market.
According to Ethan Qi, head of research and analysis at Counterpoint, the overlap between the two products in terms of target audience and price range is very low. Huawei focuses on form innovation, while Apple has explored in the field of artificial intelligence. Apple Intelligence will accelerate the internal replacement of iOS ecosystem and help maintain the sales of the basic version.
Ethan also stated that the competition between the two companies has not only driven innovation in the smartphone industry, but has also brought new growth points to their respective brands. It is still too early to predict production capacity. For example, Mate XT's help to Huawei is not only reflected in revenue, but also consolidates Huawei's position as an important contributor to foldable screen technology.
Tianfeng International analyst Guo Mingchi said that the estimated shipment volume of iPhone 16 series this year will be raised from 87 million to 88 million to 88 million to 89 million, mainly from the standard version, and the overall shipment volume will be slightly higher than the same period last year.
But in terms of the Chinese market, Apple may still be under pressure. According to data released by the international data company IDC, Apple's sales in the Chinese smartphone market have fallen to sixth place in the second quarter of this year, while Huawei ranks third.
After the release of the new Huawei Mate70 series, the competition between the two will undoubtedly become even more intense.