The desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max costs up to over $200 above the auction price

Since Friday’s launch, tens of thousands of iPhone 16s have been delivered to customers in Vietnam, and demand for the desert titanium model remains high.

At the Apple Authorized Store, the Desert Titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced at VND38 million, VND44 million, and VND50 million for the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models, respectively – each VND3 million above the Apple Vietnam list prices.

Currently, consumers receive no benefits beyond the guarantee of immediate availability, which is a stark contrast to the numerous benefits offered by many pre-launch stores.

This pricing strategy is consistent across retailers, including some Apple Authorized Dealers, for authentic VN/A devices. In smaller chains, prices for the most popular 256 GB model can increase by almost VND 4 million, selling it for VND 39 million.

On e-commerce sites, some listings list the device at VND40 million, which is about VND5 million more than the official price.

The retail chain prices the desert titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max at almost VND 5 million above the price of the natural titanium variant. Photo: VnExpress/Luu Quy

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

However, this strategy complicates matters for some customers, especially those facing delivery delays for pre-ordered devices.

Minh Anh from Hanoi, who planned to give the phones to colleagues and relatives, ordered five on the evening of September 20. To avoid activating the devices immediately and enabling gift giving later, he opted for a store he frequently visited through an Apple Authorized Service Provider. dealer with more stringent rules. However, just before the scheduled delivery, he was informed that due to “stock shortages”, only two phones could be delivered, with the rest promised by October.

“At first I was understanding because the desert titanium model was extremely popular,” he explained. “But when I visited the store, the employee confirmed that there would be stock available if I paid more than VND38 million (which was more than the initial price quoted).”

Several customers also reported that stores offered them additional warranty and accessory packages costing VND2-3 million on the eve of delivery to ensure they could receive their phones earlier.

A representative of the retail chain explained that frequent shortages of devices in new colors or designs lead to price increases or bundle sales offering additional benefits during the initial launch period, intended to maximize profits and reduce the likelihood of resale.

Another representative of the chain mentioned that they had to increase prices to better manage demand because over 50% of orders were for the desert titanium color and stock availability was below 30%. Those who do not want to pay extra must wait for the next delivery in October.

“Demand for orders and deliveries in October remains very high,” noted a representative of electronics retailer CellphoneS.

The CellphoneS store sold almost 7,000 iPhone 16s on the day of release, of which 63% were the Pro Max model.

“Many people who placed a late order and were not able to receive the desert titanium color immediately opted for other colors, such as natural titanium or black, to receive their devices faster,” they added.

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

As in previous years, this year the new color of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the most popular in the initial sales phase. A VnExpress survey conducted on September 20 among over 3,000 people showed that 60% of respondents preferred this color. It also sold out within three minutes at the online Apple Store in Vietnam.

Many sellers emphasize that the desert titanium color is very popular because it stands out from previous iPhone models. Last year, the natural titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max experienced a similar trend, although it is currently the least preferred color among retail customers despite its appeal to both men and women.

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