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Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will open for pre-orders this Saturday (Sep 12), but a Sincere Podium retailer expects only the larger Pro Max to command a significant resale premium.
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Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, on Thursday (Sep10).
The iPhone 18 Pro will open for pre-orders at 8pm on Saturday and go on sale on September 18. The 18 Pro starts at HK$10,499, while the 18 Pro Max starts at HK$11,499.
The iPhone Duo, which starts at HK$17,499, will open for pre-orders on October 16.
Steve, a Sincere Podium retailer, told Sing Tao Headline, a sister publication of The Standard, that the iPhone Duo’s price was higher than the HK$15,000 to HK$16,000 he had expected.
The eSIM-only design could also be a drawback in Hong Kong, where some consumers have yet to embrace eSIM technology.
However, Steve expects demand for the foldable phone to remain strong due to limited supply and its novelty, with resale prices likely to rise.
He expects the 256GB and 512GB models to be the most popular, while the 1TB and 2TB versions could face weaker demand because of their higher prices. The two models are priced at around HK$20,000 and HK$30,000 respectively, before any resale premium.
Steve said it was difficult to predict the resale premium for the iPhone 18 Pro this year.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB fetched a premium of around HK$2,000 to HK$3,000 last year, but he expects this year’s premium to be lower because of the higher retail price.
He said the Pro Max was more likely to command a premium, as it features a larger battery and screen than the 18 Pro, as well as a main camera with a variable aperture.
The smaller 18 Pro is expected to be less attractive to buyers, with any resale premium likely to be modest.
Simon, another Sincere Podium retailer, said consumers had become more cautious about upgrading their phones as smartphone prices rose across brands in the first half of the year.
However, as prices have also risen in other markets, with some seeing even steeper increases, he expects the 18 Pro Max to retain some resale value on launch day.
For the iPhone Duo, Simon also expects the 256GB and 512GB models to be easier to sell and more likely to attract buyers, while the HK$30,000 price tag of the 2TB model could limit demand.
