iPhone 5 Launches in 33 New Countries Including China

In line with its announcement from earlier this month, Apple today launched the iPhone 5 in 33 new countries, with the most prominent member of the group being China.

sanlitun store iphone 5 launch snow
Unlike the chaos that reigned at the iPhone 4S launch earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reports that the iPhone 5 appears to have been quite subdued. It is unclear, however, how much of the change may be due to lack of interest and how much may have been related to snowy weather and changes in Apple's sales policies designed to reduce scalping and other factors that have led to problems at previous launches.

Friday’s iPhone 5 launch was notable for a different kind of white: a rare accumulation of fresh snow that blanketed the nearly empty plaza outside the Sanlitun store.

At 8 am on Friday, when the store opened to hurrahs from employees, only two consumers stood inside a cordon set up by Apple, though they were joined by a desultory snow man someone had made on a bench near the entrance.

Apple's new sales policies require customers to enter a lottery for the right to purchase an iPhone in the store, with winners being given specific windows of time in which to pick up their devices.

Fortune has also collected a handful of videos showing launches in China, Malaysia, and the Philippines that were part of today's major rollout in the following countries: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
iPhone 17e Feature 1

iPhone 17e: All the Rumors So Far

Thursday October 2, 2025 4:55 am PDT by
Earlier this year, Apple released the $599 iPhone 16e – a budget-friendly late addition to its iPhone 16 series and a replacement for its long-running entry-level iPhone SE line. Given the iPhone 17 lineup has now launched, can we expect an iPhone 17e anytime soon? If you're holding out for a more affordable device with the 17 moniker attached, here's everything we know so far about the...
iOS 26 Everything New Feature

26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked. Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got...

Top Rated Comments

iGrip Avatar
167 months ago
I wont Apple to go back to making computers for professionals. Yes cut out all the consumer orients "glossy" screens and put all thos engineers back to work on Mac OS X and the suite of props, like Logic and Aperture. So what if they have a 2% market share, you can choose to be in this 2% club if you like.

Eventually this WILL happen.


Apple is riding high on consumer sales in the most profitable market segments.

They are experiencing success greater than ever in their history, and arguably, greater than any company in history.

Eventually, the sun will die too. But don't hold your breath for either event.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
167 months ago
The iPhone will sell well in China, but more and more people are opting for the Galaxy/Android phone. The iPhone needs a refresh, it's facing stiff competition.

And you're basing this on?

----------

Wow, two people? That's a stark contrast to past launches. Even considering some snow, a lottery system and anti-scalping policies that is strange. Perhaps this is a turning point for the iPhone. Not that Android products are super exciting either.

We heard the same stories about no lines the day the iPad mini came out. Heck I was able to walk right into an Apple store and get one no problem. Now NPD is claiming Apple is asking for 12 million displays for this quarter. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57559159-37/ipad-mini-set-to-eclipse-retina-ipad/

I don't think lines outside a store are indicative of anything these days.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSteve-O Avatar
167 months ago
What's sad is those two were there just to buy headphones.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
167 months ago
This is very, very bad news. The iPhone accounts for a huge chunk of Apple's profits. If not for the iPhone, Apple would not be the same company.....

I really do hope this iPhone/iPad thing blows over and fizzles. I wont Apple to go back to making computers for professionals. Yes cut out all the consumer orients "glossy" screens and put all thos engineers back to work on Mac OS X and the suite of props, like Logic and Aperture. So what if they have a 2% market share, you can choose to be in this 2% club if you like.

Eventually this WILL happen.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
167 months ago
This is very, very bad news. The iPhone accounts for a huge chunk of Apple's profits. If not for the iPhone, Apple would not be the same company. It would not be a huge corporate name brand as it currently is.

And now it looks like there may be significantly less demand for the newest iPhone in China?

The stock is currently down more than 3%.

What are you basing this on? Sales figures beat out antidotal evidence of people standing outside a store. Especially in China where they have a reservation system. But I'm not surprised FUD is driving the stock down.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGrip Avatar
167 months ago
One Trick Pony?

This is very, very bad news. The iPhone accounts for a huge chunk of Apple's profits. If not for the iPhone, Apple would not be the same company. It would not be a huge corporate name brand as it currently is.

And now it looks like there may be significantly less demand for the newest iPhone in China?

The stock is currently down more than 3%.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)