iPhone 18 Pro Max premiums collapse to 200 yuan on day two; Pro model sells below retail

Following the launch of the iPhone 18 series, the market has shown a clear divergence in demand. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has been highly sought after by scalpers, with resale premiums exceeding 700 yuan, while the iPhone 18 Pro has seen weak demand, with some scalpers bluntly stating, "No one wants it."

Market Premiums Decline Rapidly on Launch Day

On September 18, the official launch date, market premiums for the iPhone 18 Pro Max quickly began to decline.

According to reports, on the first day of sales, initial batches of the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the scalper market generally commanded a premium of around 500 yuan. The Burgundy wine red color variant was the most sought-after, with a slightly higher premium than other colors. However, buyback prices dropped rapidly, with the industry now generally offering a 300 yuan premium for acquisitions. One scalper revealed that on launch day, peak morning buyback prices reached as high as 800 yuan, but by the afternoon, prices had already fallen significantly, with expectations that the trend would continue downward.

On-Site Investigation: No Premium Buyback Policies

On September 19, a reporter from Securities Times visited an Apple store on the South Third Ring Road in Beijing.

During the visit, a consumer was seen inquiring about reselling an iPhone 18 Pro purchased online at a premium. In response, a store staff member stated: "The store supports trade-in services for new devices, but only at second-hand market rates. We do not offer premium buybacks." Meanwhile, after consulting with major digital device trade-in platforms in the mall, the reporter learned that neither the iPhone 18 Pro nor the iPhone 18 Pro Max currently have premium buyback policies. All devices are valued based on real-time second-hand market rates.

Buyback Prices Crash: "You'll Lose Money"

On September 19, the reporter contacted a phone recycler to get the latest market updates. The recycler said: "Currently, we are not offering any premium for the iPhone 18 Pro. For the iPhone 18 Pro Max, we are only adding 200 yuan today. Yesterday it was 500 yuan. The price has crashed today. If you're planning to order now, don't bother. By the time the device arrives, you'll definitely lose money—we'll buy it back for less than what you paid."

E-Commerce Data Shows Continuous Price Decline

Data from e-commerce platforms also indicates that market transaction prices for the iPhone 18 Pro series have been steadily declining from pre-sale to official launch. According to data from the app Dewu, most popular versions of the iPhone 18 Pro Max are still selling above the official retail price, but the premium has narrowed significantly compared to the peak on the first day of pre-sales.

For example, the previously most popular and sought-after iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB in Burgundy wine red now has an average transaction price of 11,861 yuan, a premium of 862 yuan over the official price of 10,999 yuan. On September 12, the first day of pre-sales, the average transaction price for this version peaked at 13,888 yuan. By the official launch date, the price had dropped by 2,027 yuan, a decline of approximately 14.6%.

iPhone 18 Pro Sees Price Below Launch

In stark contrast to the still-premium market for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the iPhone 18 Pro has already seen its price fall below the official launch price—a topic that has trended on social media platforms. As early as September 14, data from multiple e-commerce platforms showed that the 256GB version of the iPhone 18 Pro had dropped to 9,099 yuan, a direct reduction of 900 yuan from Apple's official launch price of 9,999 yuan, marking the start of below-launch pricing. Additionally, with trade-in offers and platform subsidies, the actual purchase price has fallen even further below the official retail price.

Apple's Official Response

In response to the phenomenon of "iPhone 18 Pro prices falling below launch on e-commerce platforms," an Apple customer service representative stated: "Third-party sales channels have the autonomy to set their own prices. Platform subsidies, store promotions, and other discount activities are independent channel decisions. Apple does not intervene in third-party pricing."

(Source: Securities Times)