Large crowds of Thais and foreigners waited for hours to be among the first to own Apple's latest iPhone, which was launched worldwide on Friday.
Shoppers queued outside the Apple Stores at CentralWorld and Iconsiam shopping centres before the stores opened at 8am to buy the new edition of the smartphone.
A woman from Myanmar became the first customer to purchase the phone at CentralWorld, according to Thairath Online, while Manager Online reported that Vu Thi Ming Trang from Vietnam was the first customer to buy the device at Iconsiam.
According to the Apple website, the iPhone 16 model with a 6.1-inch display starts at 29,900 baht, the iPhone 16 Plus with 6.7-inch display costs 34,900 baht, the iPhone 16 Pro with 6.3-inch display costs 39,900 baht and the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 6.9-inch display is 48,900 baht.
Thailand is one of about 60 countries where the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus debuted. Other countries include the United States, China, India, South Korea and Singapore. Apple will introduce the devices in Vietnam and other countries next Friday.
Apple faces an unprecedented challenge in persuading customers to buy its latest iPhones without their biggest new feature, according to Bloomberg.
The device will not come installed with Apple Intelligence — the much-anticipated artificial intelligence (AI) software that the company has been touting since June. That means users will have to download the software features over time as they become available during the coming weeks and months.
A man and a woman show their new iPhones purchased at CentralWorld on Friday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
This situation places Apple in a difficult position. While marketing the AI features heavily, some consumers may delay purchasing the new phones if they cannot access these benefits immediately.
In addition, the new iPhone hardware has only modest upgrades from previous models, with the most notable change being a touch-sensitive Camera Control button that simplifies taking pictures and videos.
The new lineup includes two standard models — the 16 and 16 Plus — as well as the higher-end Pro and Pro Max. Pre-orders began last week, with shipments to stores and customers getting underway on Friday.
