Desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max retails for $200 over list price

Tens of thousands of iPhone 16s have been delivered to customers in Vietnam since its launch on Friday, and demand for the desert titanium model remains high.

iPhone 16 Pro Max in desert titanium color is priced at VND38 million, VND44 million, and VND50 million for 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models respectively at an Apple authorized store; each VND 3 million above Apple Vietnam’s list prices.

Currently, consumers do not receive any benefits other than the assurance of immediate availability, which is in stark contrast to the multitude of benefits many stores offer before launch.

This pricing strategy is consistent across various retailers, including some Apple authorized resellers for original VN/A devices. In smaller chains, prices can increase by about 4 million VND for the most popular 256 GB model, which can be sold for 39 million VND.

In some listings on e-commerce sites, the device is priced at 40 million VND, about 5 million VND more than the official price.

A retail chain is listing the desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max for around VND 5 million above the price of the natural titanium version. Photo: VnExpress/Luu Quy

Many feel that the high demand for the desert titanium color, combined with the limited supply, justifies the price increase, allowing eager buyers to immediately secure the device for a premium price.

But this strategy complicates things for some customers, especially those who face delays in the delivery of pre-ordered devices.

Minh Anh from Hanoi, who was planning to gift phones to his colleagues and relatives, placed an order for five on the evening of September 20. To avoid immediate activation of devices and to make gift giving possible later, he opted for a store he frequents through an Apple representative. Dealership with stricter policies. However, just before the scheduled delivery he was informed that only two phones could be delivered due to “stock shortage” and the rest could be delivered by October.

“At first I could tell because the desert titanium model was extremely popular,” he explained. “However, when I visited the store, a staff confirmed that they had stock available if I paid more than VND 38 million (higher than the first listed price).”

Some customers also reported that stores offered them additional warranty and accessory packages worth VND 2-3 million to ensure early pickup of their phones on the eve of delivery.

A representative of a retail chain explained that frequent shortages of devices in new colors or designs lead to price increases or bundled sales that offer additional benefits during the initial release period, thus aiming to maximize profits and reduce the possibility of resale.

Another chain representative stated that they had to raise prices to better manage demand because more than 50% of orders were for desert titanium color, but stock availability was below 30%. Those who do not want to pay extra should wait for the next shipment in October.

“Ordering and delivery demand for October continues to be quite high,” said a representative from electronics retailer CellphoneS.

Approximately 7,000 iPhone 16s were sold on launch day on CellphoneS; 63% of these were Pro Max models.

“Many of those who ordered late and did not receive the desert titanium color immediately opted for other colors such as natural titanium or black to receive their devices sooner,” they added.

Desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max. Photo: VnExpress/Tuan Hung

This year, as in previous years, the new color of the iPhone 16 Pro Max was the most popular color in the first sales phase. A VnExpress survey of more than 3,000 people on September 20 found that 60% of respondents preferred this color. At the same time Sold out in three minutes Available at Apple Store Online in Vietnam.

Many retailers state that the desert titanium color has attracted great attention because it differentiates it from previous iPhone models. Last year, the natural titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max experienced a similar trend, but it is now the least preferred color among retailers’ customers, despite appealing to both male and female customers.

Retail systems have been delivering the iPhone 16 since Friday, and the number of orders is significantly higher than last year.