September 19, 2025

iPhone 17 debuts worldwide to long queues as Apple battles China rivals, AI skepticism

Abiola Olawale

Writer

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By Obinna Uballa

The iPhone 17 went on sale globally on Friday, drawing long lines from Beijing to Singapore as Apple launched its latest flagship amid fierce competition in China and lingering doubts over its artificial intelligence strategy.

In Beijing, eager buyers camped overnight outside Apple’s flagship store in Sanlitun, CNBC reported. Liu, the first in line since 11 p.m. Thursday, said he was excited about the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s fresh colour and redesigned exterior, which Apple says improves heat dissipation. Another customer, Yang, who switched from Xiaomi, said he preferred Apple’s operating system and expected many Chinese consumers to buy their first iPhone this year thanks to new features like expanded storage, the report said.

The global rollout includes the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, alongside new Apple Watch and AirPods models. Preorders in the U.S. opened on September 12, but Apple is now betting on overseas momentum, particularly in China where its market share has slipped to 10%, behind Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and others, according to Omdia data.

Signs are promising. Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reported that iPhone 17 series preorders surpassed last year’s iPhone 16 first-day volume within the first minute.

In Singapore, long lines stretched outside Apple’s Marina Bay and Orchard outlets, where customers like young professionals Iman Isa and Daniel Muhamed Nuv queued for hours to secure their first new phones in years. They cited longer battery life, improved cameras, and sleeker design as reasons to stay loyal to Apple.

Analysts say the iPhone 17 base model is outperforming expectations thanks to unchanged pricing despite upgrades in memory. The company’s new AirPods Pro 3, featuring live translation, also drew strong interest.

Still, beyond the launch buzz, Apple faces pressure to reassure investors about its AI roadmap. Analysts argue the company “dropped the ball” last year by overpromising and delaying delivery of AI features. “There is no question Apple needs to deliver on AI,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. “But for now, the iPhone 17 launch gives it some runway.”

…with additional reports from CNBC

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