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It’s the moment iPhone fans around the world have been waiting for.
Apple Stores around the world have opened their doors to customers as the new iPhone 17 finally goes on sale.
Photos show huge queues outside Apple Stores in Sydney, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur as people wait to get inside.
Many shoppers have queued through the night to be near the front when doors open, and it seems this lack of sleep has left people techy.
A video clip shows tempers boiling over outside the Apple Store at the BKC Jio Centre in Mumbai, India, as many fans want to be among the first owners.
The footage shows a congested mass of would-be buyers, predominantly men, who swing punches and throw objects, as authorities have to intervene.
And the first set of buyers have just arrived at London’s Regent Street store, many of whom will be skipping work to be there.
Photos outside the London store suggest there’s more interest for the iPhone 17 family, compared with last year’s iPhone 16.
Seoul : A huge line up queue forms outside the Apple Store in the Korean capital city for the launch of Apple’s iPhone 17
New Delhi: Apple Stores around the world have opened their doors to customers as the new iPhone 17 finally goes on sale
London: Photos outside the London store suggest there’s more interest for the iPhone 17 family, compared with last year’s iPhone 16
The trillion-dollar tech giant revealed the four models in the iPhone 17 family at an event at its California HQ earlier this month.
As well as the standard iPhone 17 option, there’s the more advanced iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max, which bigger screens and more processing power.
iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max have a rear camera bump that takes up the entire top third of the phone, considered by some as ‘ugly’.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are available in three colours: Silver, Deep Blue, and a bold new colour called Cosmic Orange.
But in previous years, Apple has opted for a more muted, neutral set of tones for its Pro lineup, so the bright new colours did not go down well with some fans.
Surely the most-anticipated new device in the family is the iPhone Air, a new ultra-slim and light option that ties in with Apple’s ‘Air’ MacBook computers.
With a depth of 0.22 inches (5.6 mm), it is the thinnest iPhone ever produced, even thinner than the 0.27-inch (6.9 mm) iPhone 6.
However, the new devices don’t come cheap – the standard baseline iPhone 17 model starts at £799/$799, while the iPhone 17 Pro starts at £1,099/$1,099.
Kuala Lumpur: By the light of the early dawn, faithful Apple devotes line up outside this store in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur: A massive cluster of people wait outside as the first lucky customers get inside the Apple store at Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hong Kong: The excitement is almost palpable as smartphone owners at the special administrative region of China line-up to buy… another smartphone
Tokyo: Fans wait in an orderly queue outside the Apple Store in the Shibuya district of the Japanese capital
Tokyo: A man holds up the iPhone 17 (left) and the iPhone Air (right), which are discernable by the camera lenses on the back. Despite having fewer cameras, the iPhone Air is more expensive
Singapore: Every year, the launch of a new iPhone is around the third week in September. It is globally synchronized to the same day – a move thought to leverage the excitement
Beijing: Despite the many smartphone options from the likes of Chinese companies Huawei and Xiaomi, Apple’s iPhone generates plenty of interest in China and has historically had strong sales there
Beijing: A woman takes a selfie with iPhones inside the Apple store in Beijing’s Sanlitun area as the new iPhone 17 series smartphones go on sale this morning
Nanjing: Although they try, no other smartphone maker drums up excitement quite like Apple. Pictured, Apple flagship store this morning in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China
Delhi: Every year, the iPhone inevitably proves popular in India, a country full of devout tech fans
Sydney: Fans wait through the night to get a position at the queue in the Australian city. The opening of the doors has become something of an annual spectacle
Sydney: Customers are among the first to try out the next generation of iPhones, which includes the iPhone Air, an ultra-slim version
Sydney: A customer takes a selfie with her new iPhone Air, which is the thinnest iPhone ever produced
Starting at $999/£999, the iPhone Air’s price positions it between the basic iPhone 17 and the more expensive iPhone 17 Pro Max.
And the most expensive option, the iPhone 17 Pro Max – which has bigger battery, display and storage capacity – goes from £1,199/$1,199.
In London, tech writer Arjun Kharpal posted a shot on X of the view outside the Apple Store at around 7:20am, with a group of 30 lined up – although there were other groups too.
He said: ‘Feels a bit more buzzy than previous years. Lets see that translates to sales.’
According to Reuters, around 300 people lined up at the Apple Store in Beijing on Friday morning, one of whom was Shuke Wang, 35.
Mr Wang said he purchased the Pro Max model, priced from 9,999 yuan ($1,406) in China, for its appearance and bigger battery.
‘I really like the 17 series’ redesign, and I think the orange-coloured one looks good, but too flashy,’ he said.
‘The Air Model looks good too, but the Pro Max gives longer battery life.’
London: Early risers use the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro, inside the tech giant’s flagship store in Regent Street
London: Crowds this time in 2027 could be even greater when the company is expected to release a special 20th anniversary iPhone
Guangzhou: Orderly queues form in China for the new iPhone. Apple releases one or two phones every year, but it doesn’t stop fans from queuing up to buy the latest model
Guangzhou: Apple uses data analytics and market research to forecast demand for its new iPhones – which seems to show little sign of abating
Along with the new iPhones, Apple is releasing today the £369/$399 Apple Watch Series 11, which comes with 24 hours of battery life and a more scratch-resistant screen.
There’s also the £749/$799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which has emergency satellite messaging, letting people get help in an emergency when there’s no Wi–Fi.
And fans can also own from today the $249/£219 AirPods Pro 3, which are packed with a Star Trek-style feature that translates foreign languages in real-time.
Every year, the launch of a new iPhone is around the third week in September.
It is globally synchronized to the same day – a tactic that helps build up the excitement.
Apple does not disclose pre-order figures, but an analysts think the iPhone 17 series could give a crucial end-of-year boost to Apple’s market share.
Chiew Le Xuan, a senior analyst at research company Omdia, said iPhone 17 Pro Max is likely to become ‘Apple’s top-performing model in the Chinese market’ in 2026.
Crowds could be even greater this time in 2027, when the company is expected to release a special 20th anniversary iPhone.
Guangdong: It’s always a busy day for Apple employees whenever a new iPhone goes on sale. Pictured, a huge Apple Store spanning multiple floors in Guangdong on launch day
Shanghai: Apple does not disclose pre-order figures, but the iPhone 17 family may outperform the iPhone 16 last year
For any customers planning to splash out on one of the new devices, experts warn that many will get stolen on the streets of the big cities.
Metropolitan Police data obtained by Compare the Market reveals that more than 70,000 phones were stolen in London last year alone – a 34 per cent increase from the previous year.
Amy Rootham, insurance expert at Compare the Market, said these high-value phones are always attractive to thieves on the streets.
‘With many of today’s smartphones costing well over £1,000, having to replace one if it’s lost or stolen could be a real financial blow,’ she said.
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