Today, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max officially went on sale, and Apple’s flagship stores in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen once again saw long lines. The used-trade market is sharply split: Pro Max models generally come with a markup of more than 300 yuan, with the red colorway being the most in demand; some specific models are priced at close to 1,000 yuan above retail. Meanwhile, the Pro models are reportedly rejected by scalpers, who are said to have driven them below their launch pricing—indicating they have broken the initial price floor.

From the supply chain perspective, the Pro series is built to suppress the A20 chip’s heat by expanding the heat-spreader plate; AAC Technologies supplies the cooling module components. The main camera adopts a variable aperture for the first time, with Largan Precision and Luxshare Precision supplying the voice-coil (smart) actuators; Hon Hai Precision Industry and Foxconn are the main contract manufacturers. Counterpoint says that sales may be steadier, as the foldable Duo has siphoned off demand, the still-attractive 17 Pro remains a contender, and Siri AI has not yet launched in China.