Nobody's lining up for the iPhone XS in China. Here's why.

Crowds are bigger at Apple Stores around the world, but it doesn't mean a lack of demand in China

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Not much of a wait. (Picture: 苹果汇 via Weibo)

Published: 8:34pm, 21 Sep 2018Updated: 8:40am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

The new iPhone XS and XS Max hit the shelves on Friday around the world. But while there were plenty of loyal fans lined up outside Apple Stores from Sydney to Singapore, it was a very different scene in China -- a key market for Apple.

Photos on Weibo show only a handful of people gathered outside the Apple Store in Beijing’s famed Wangfujing shopping district on Friday morning.

Not much of a wait... but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of demand. (Picture: 苹果汇 via Weibo)

Despite what it seems, the lack of crowds has nothing to do with actual demand for Apple’s latest handsets. That’s because unlike the rest of the world, in China (and Hong Kong) you can’t just walk into an Apple Store and purchase a new iPhone on the first day.

It all began in 2012 following riots outside an Apple Store in Beijing. Customers who had lined up for hours erupted in anger when Apple, unsure about how to handle the massive crowd, decided to halt sales of the iPhone 4S in the last minute. Angry mobs punched security guards and threw eggs at windows, prompting police to move in.

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Nobody's lining up for the iPhone XS in China. Here's why.

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Crowds are bigger at Apple Stores around the world, but it doesn't mean a lack of demand in China

Crowds are bigger at Apple Stores around the world, but it doesn't mean a lack of demand in China