iPhone 16 Launch Draws Large Crowds in Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK, Sept 20 (TNA) – Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro officially went on sale in Thailand on Friday, with eager customers lining up at stores across the country to be among the first to get their hands on the new devices.

 

At the Apple Store in IconSiam, a Vietnamese customer was the first in line, having arrived in the early morning hours. The Central World branch saw particularly high enthusiasm. The honor of receiving the first iPhone 16 in Thailand went to a Myanmar national working in the country, who had pre-ordered the device and chose to pick it up at the Central World branch at 8 a.m.

 

Long queues formed at various retail locations, including AIS and True-Dtac stores, as well as authorized resellers like iStudio.

 

The iPhone 16 series, touted as Apple's first smartphone designed specifically for artificial intelligence or “Apple Intelligence,” allows users to generate text and images with ease using AI-powered suggestions.

However, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that pre-orders during the first weekend reached about 37 million units, down 12.7% compared to the iPhone 15 launch.

 

The decline is primarily attributed to lower demand for the Pro models, as Apple Intelligence is currently only available in English, affecting demand in markets like China where competitors offer AI services in the local language.

 

Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 began on Friday, September 13, in over 58 countries, including Thailand. The launch day turnout in Thailand demonstrates continued strong interest in Apple's latest offering.

 

Photo: TNA

 

Source: Thai News Agency

-- 2024-09-20
 

 

[Elkski]

How would you like one of those gals as a GF?

[OneMoreFarang]

How many of those eager buyers will have now the previous version of that phone?

 

So, what they tell us is basically that their current phone is so bad that they need so urgently a new phone that they can't even wait for a few days more. Amazing! 

[OneMoreFarang]

5 minutes ago, Elkski said:

How would you like one of those gals as a GF?

 

I plan to go to NANA tonight. Maybe I should have bought one of those to impress the girls. 😉 

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

I plan to go to NANA tonight. Maybe I should have bought one of those to impress the girls. 😉 

I think being impressed by what model phone you're using is a thing of the past. They all look so similar now, and all have such high specs, that nobody really cares anymore. I can't even remember the last time somebody asked me which phone I'm using.
 

I remember when it was still the days of the iPhone 6, 7, and 8 and people were more interested in the models because the specs could vary significantly. But now, as an example, the difference between an iPhone 14 and an iPhone 16 are just a few incremental, but non-critical hardware updates. 
 

I also think most people who use iPhones are on a 3 to 4 year update cycle. Thus, it is very unlikely that anyone who bought a new iPhone within the last couple of years would be interested in the newest model that just came out.

 

Having said that though, there are an estimated 300 million iPhones still in use, of the total 1.5 billion iPhones in use, which haven't been updated in the last 4+ years. This is the largest number of old iPhones still in use to date. Apple normally sells about 230 million new iPhones every year. So this year could prove to be one of the biggest phone update cycles for the iPhone thus far. Of course that remains to be seen as to whether people will continue on with their older iPhones and not upgrade. But, presumably, many of those people seen lining up for the new iPhone are ones who are using an iPhone now that is at least 3 to 4 years old.

[dinsdale]

Way over priced rubbish. All about showing off with a phone that maybe 10% of the features will actually be used. Same as all smart phones. Consumerism at its craziest. MUST GET THE NEW ONE!!!!!!!

[advancebooking]

I visited the local apple store at central festival today and ready to buy the latest model pro. I was told they are only selling the new models with promotion ie to new customers who want a SIM card included. He said to come back in a few days. I gave him my ugly face look and walked out. I will go to another store next week or buy it online. som nom na

[pegman]

17 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Way over priced rubbish. All about showing off with a phone that maybe 10% of the features will actually be used. Same as all smart phones. Consumerism at its craziest. MUST GET THE NEW ONE!!!!!!!

So what is the price of an unplugged new iPhone in Thailand?

[RSD1]

12 minutes ago, advancebooking said:

I visited the local apple store at central festival today and ready to buy the latest model pro. I was told they are only selling the new models with promotion ie to new customers who want a SIM card included. He said to come back in a few days. I gave him my ugly face look and walked out. I will go to another store next week or buy it online. som nom na

Give it about a week and then go onto the official Apple flagship store on Lazada and order one and have it delivered. No stress. 

[dinsdale]

8 minutes ago, advancebooking said:

I visited the local apple store at central festival today and ready to buy the latest model pro. I was told they are only selling the new models with promotion ie to new customers who want a SIM card included. He said to come back in a few days. I gave him my ugly face look and walked out. I will go to another store next week or buy it online. som nom na

Never mind. Coming soon you can hand over lots of your money for something you basically already have. I guess you can show off for a while with your new phone until you have to fork out even more money for the next NEW Phone. 

[billd766]

22 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Way over priced rubbish. All about showing off with a phone that maybe 10% of the features will actually be used. Same as all smart phones. Consumerism at its craziest. MUST GET THE NEW ONE!!!!!!!

Over priced, certainly, over hyped, definitely, rubbish not so much. It does just the same job as an ordinary smart phone that comes in at half the price or less.

 

The people that rush to buy them are simply showing off, and will never use most of the functions anyway.

[RSD1]

32 minutes ago, pegman said:

So what is the price of an unplugged new iPhone in Thailand?

It depends on which of the four models you are referring to and how much memory you choose. 
 

AIS is advertising the basic model on their website for around ฿23,000. The pro models will be about ฿10-฿20,000 more for the standard memory models. They probably go as high as around ฿65-฿70,000 for the pro models with the highest storage memory. 
 

[still kicking]

4 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Over priced, certainly, over hyped, definitely, rubbish not so much. It does just the same job as an ordinary smart phone that comes in at half the price or less.

 

The people that rush to buy them are simply showing off, and will never use most of the functions anyway.

My smartphone cost me 500 baht and the reason I bought it because my phone company stopped using 3G

[RSD1]

22 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Over priced, certainly, over hyped, definitely, rubbish not so much. It does just the same job as an ordinary smart phone that comes in at half the price or less.

The biggest update this year is actually the rollout of Apple Intelligence and all of the generative AI features that Apple will add to the functionality of the phone. The irony is that the phone is out, but none of the AI functionality is available yet and won't be until next month, and with the more major AI functions to actually come out early next year through additional software operating system updates. 
 

It seems that the iPhone 15 Pro models will be able to support running Apple Intelligence, but all iPhone models prior to that will not be able to. This means that anyone who wants access to Apple Intelligence, and who hadn't bought last year's pro model, will be forced to buy this year's model iPhone in order to get access to that functionality. Apple is hoping that this new technology will be a driver to get many more people to upgrade this year than usual. It remains to be seen though how excited people are about having some new AI functionality built into their iPhone. 
 

Normally, camera improvements have been the big driver in the past to get people to upgrade, year after year, but last year's iPhone camera updates were so spectacular that it's going to be much harder for Apple to get people to update their phones in the future based on camera specs alone.  

 

 

[RSD1]

13 minutes ago, still kicking said:

My smartphone cost me 500 baht and the reason I bought it because my phone company stopped using 3G

Sounds like you really splurged, maybe even went a bit overboard. Didn't they have any other models available that are more reasonably priced?

[billd766]

12 minutes ago, still kicking said:

My smartphone cost me 500 baht and the reason I bought it because my phone company stopped using 3G

I have a Samsung AO4 that cost about 6,000 baht. I only bought that because my old phone died, My time between buying a new phone depends on how long they last before they die and I need another one. Usually 5 or 6 years.

[RSD1]

16 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I have a Samsung AO4 that cost about 6,000 baht. I only bought that because my old phone died, My time between buying a new phone depends on how long they last before they die and I need another one. Usually 5 or 6 years.

 

Since you only update when your phone dies, and if you decide you'd like to update sooner than five or six years, just place your phone on the roof of a taxi when you get out and then let him drive off. Then you should be able to replace your phone right away without waiting so long.

 

[dinsdale]

23 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Over priced, certainly, over hyped, definitely, rubbish not so much. It does just the same job as an ordinary smart phone that comes in at half the price or less.

 

The people that rush to buy them are simply showing off, and will never use most of the functions anyway.

Agree but I hope you don't mind me editing your last sentence. Here it is. You were so close.

The people that rush to buy them are simple and pretentious.

p.s. As for rubbish that was a bit of a throw away line. Smart phone technology is amazing. I do wonder, however, if it's actually needed or people just think or are influenced to believe it's needed.

p.s.s Is it still a really bad thing to drop an iphone.

 

 

[JimTripper]

I was not impressed by the 16. When I viewed it, it was practically the same size as the older model I have. For me, it was not worth getting.

[billd766]

6 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

 

Since you only update when your phone dies, and if you decide you'd like to update sooner than five or six years, just place your phone on the roof of a taxi when you get out and then let him drive off with your phone on the roof. Then you should be able to replace your phone right away without waiting.

Why would I bother to do that. My mobile phone is mostly used for phone calls, SMS and playing the odd game while I wait in the hospital to see the doctor.

 

It is also very useful using both Google Search for an item that I am trying to get from a shop or Google Translate when I can't explain something in a shop or a business. Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words especially in another language.

 

[RSD1]

2 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Why would I bother to do that. My mobile phone is mostly used for phone calls, SMS and playing the odd game while I wait in the hospital to see the doctor.

 

It is also very useful using both Google Search for an item that I am trying to get from a shop or Google Translate when I can't explain something in a shop or a business. Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words especially in another language.

 

Did they happen to have something called humor in your country?

[dinsdale]

5 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words

Out of context of your post I know but I can just here Trump saying this.

[dinsdale]

8 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

I was not impressed by the 16. When I viewed it, it was practically the same size as the older models. For me, it was not worth getting.

Saved some money then for more important things. Surely that's a positive although your post denotes sadness and disappointment.

[FriscoKid]

I only plan to buy 10 of the top model iPhones for bar girls this year. I refuse to be taken advantage of any longer. I mean, you have to put your foot down somewhere, even if you are a handsome man.

[WHansen]

A large crowd of 12 people 😆

[bkk6060]

Coolaid drinking status seekers.  Probably all want an electric car.

Those phones are a big rip off in my opinion.  Never understood the hype.

[CANSIAM]

10 hours ago, Elkski said:

How would you like one of those gals as a GF?

Buy her a 16, she's yours for a month or so........😉

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, Elkski said:

How would you like one of those gals as a GF?

High maintenance, you can have mine.

[john donson]

imagine people going into debt to buy this wannahaf phone

[phetphet]

Those who managed to buy yesterday would have all been busy shooting their "unboxing" and "look at me" videos yesterday for TikTok and Youtube.

 

Today they will be riding the BTS, or sitting in Starbucks, holding their new purchase up, hoping everyone will notice their latest iPhone. 

 

Imagine the boost to their street cred.

 

Joking aside, Apple have come up with such a great marketing strategy, that even other phone and computer makers, including Samsung and Microsoft have copied them.