Fans out in full force to welcome Apple's latest

Customers who had placed online orders for the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus waiting in line outside the Apple store in Sanlitun, Beijing on Oct 17. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After a month of waiting, US tech giant Apple Inc' latest iPhones have finally arrived on the Chinese mainland.

Originally released in the US and other select markets in late September, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus mark the fourth official iPhone release on the mainland since the iPhone 4.

On Friday morning, around 100 excited Apple aficionados were queuing outside the company's flagship Beijing store in Sanlitun as its doors opened. Most had ordered online and were there in person to enjoy the handover.

"I came all the way from Shijiazhuang (in Hebei province, around 260 km southwest of Beijing) to pick up the phone," said one retailer surnamed Song.

"I bought an iPhone 6 and a 6 Plus. They are gifts to my wife. I got two, so she can choose."

Chinese media reports said there had been customers waiting in line overnight in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and China News Service said many eager customers had been seen waiting outside China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd (China Unicom) stores across the country for the midnight release of the iPhone.

China Unicom even posted images of people waiting through the night on their official Sina Weibo, the Twitter-like micro-blogging service.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sold over 10 million units in their first weekend sale in September.

Describing himself as an Apple "super fan", Liu Yi has queued up for every first-day iPhone release since the product was launched in China.

He arrived at the Sanlitun store at around 7:50 am, but despite others being ahead of him in the queue they had not registered and he was rewarded with being the first buyer in the area to receive an iPhone 6.

"I come to the stores on launch day because I enjoy the festive atmosphere," he said.

A recent graduate surnamed Tong, who was also at the scene but not in line, said he was there just to enjoy the party atmosphere.

"I am here to join in the fun," said Tong, admitting that the only Apple product he owns is a second-generation iPad.

"I have been a fan of Apple products for a long time and I frequently visit the store－I just like the feel of the place."

Friday's Beijing launch was certainly a smoother and better affair than previous years. During the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2012, for instance, fighting broke out among scalpers and customers due to the high demand for the iPhone.

Despite launching a month later on the mainland, and the smaller crowds waiting outside its stores than previous years, Canalys analyst Wang Jingwen said Apple products are still as popular as ever in China.

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