Unofficial early sellers less gung-ho about iPhone this year after last year’s woes

Le Hieu, 27, owner of a phone store in Hanoi, said he is more cautious this time after failing to sell a bunch of iPhone 15s his store had procured from people carrying them by hand last year.

The titan gray iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max were popular but hard to find early last year so his and other stores bought titan blue models instead. They, however, found few takers for them, forcing them to sell at a loss.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max seen at a launch event on Sept. 9, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

The hand-carried phones are usually bought in markets where the device is officially sold earlier than in Vietnam, such as Singapore and Thailand.

They are often sold at a premium due to their early availability and the additional costs required to procure them.

The iPhone 16 lineup will be available in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan this Friday while the Vietnam launch is scheduled for a week later.

Quan Ngo, who runs a non-authorized Apple store in HCMC’s District 10, said unofficial sellers would have around 10 days from the official launch to sell out their iPhone 16 stocks.

The timeframe could be even shorter if supply is large during the launch, he said.

"Hand-carried goods mostly cater to tech enthusiasts who want to get the device early, wealthy people and those who want to buy the phone as a gift."

The desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

This year the desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are the most popular models and were sold out within a few minutes after pre-orders started.

Despite the anticipated risks, many unofficial sellers said they would still procure the phone from abroad, tempted by the possible profits if things go well.

Some of them said they would be buying the phones in Taiwan this year as demand is low there and there are daily two-way flights.