Chinese customers flocked to Apple stores to buy the latest iPhone 15 despite government restrictions and local competition, an encouraging sign for the world’s most valuable company in its largest overseas market.

Hundreds of people lined up at an outlet in the Wangfujing neighborhood of Beijing, waiting for salespeople as scalpers hovered nearby. In Shanghai too, crowds packed Apple Inc’s flagship store on East Nanjing Road.

In the Beijing store, a 20-year-old buyer surnamed Liu said he traded in an older iPhone for the iPhone 15 Pro because he wanted better cameras. The improved processor would also make it more potent for gaming. "I prefer a device with best performance,” he said.

The iPhone 15 release is a key test for Apple of whether refreshed specs and features can help the company return to growth, and China, which accounts for about a fifth of Apple sales, will be of particular interest. The Communist Party is expanding a ban on iPhone use in certain agencies and state-owned enterprises and rival Huawei Technologies Co just introduced its highly touted Mate 60 Pro.

A 37-year-old man surnamed Wang just got his iPhone 15 Pro Max. When asked whether he considered buying the new Huawei phone, he said he’s already got a Mate 60 Pro too. He said the Huawei phone is for daily use and he uses the iPhone to play games and take photos or videos. The iPhone performs better in games with its faster chip, he said. Bloomberg via The Star.

In a secondary Bloomberg report they note that "Apple Inc.’s latest iPhones and watches went on sale Friday, a test of whether a new smartphone design and modest smartwatch changes can help return the company to growth.

The devices are going on sale in about 40 countries in its first wave, including in Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China, the US, UK and France. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will represent Apple’s biggest sellers throughout the rest of the year — and the ability to both create and fulfill demand for the products will make or break its holiday period.

So far, the new devices have fared well for Apple, based on the initial online sales of the product. New online orders for the highest-end iPhone 15 models won’t arrive for customers until at least mid-November in several countries, while reservations for in-store pickups quickly sold out.

Initial buyers of the latest iPhone typically order it online, making it harder to gauge demand based on the length of lines. Aside from the first two iPhone launches in 2007 and 2008 — as well as the iPhone 5s debut in 2013 — Apple has offered preorders for the iPhone with delivery on launch day.

Still, long lines for the iPhone 15 formed in Dubai, Australia and China, indicating that those who could not secure day one orders online are still willing to brave long nights and early hours to be one of the first to own a new iPhone — and even a new Apple Watch.

Among the crowd at an Apple store in Sydney was Colin Seton, who has been buying Apple products since the mid-1980s. Seton was waiting in line to purchase the new Series 9 Apple Watch.

“I own most of what Apple sells,” he said, gesturing toward his satchel, containing his AirPods, iPhone, MacBook Air and iPad. “It’s a walled garden, but I don’t mind paying a premium for a product if it’s good.”

Felix Hoffman was waiting in line for a new phone after giving up his old one when he left his job in real estate. Being between jobs didn’t stop him from splurging A$1,849 ($1,184) on the new iPhone 15 Pro. “I just don’t like buying old tech,” he said.

In the Dubai Mall, Ali Maimoon from Indore, India showed up at 2:30 a.m. in hopes of getting an iPhone despite being unable to register online. He joined a throng of hundreds outside the mall, which opened at 6 a.m. Once inside, the Apple Store had three layers of security to prevent a mob from forming and only allowed people who had registered to get past the cordon. For more, read the full BNN Bloomberg report.