September 13, 2026 — Apple opened pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 12 at 8:00 PM Beijing Time, and the response was immediate. Within minutes, multiple popular configurations were sold out on Apple's official website, Tmall, and JD.com. The hashtag "Apple 18 can't be bought" shot to the top of Weibo's trending list, and the pre-order interface briefly crashed under the traffic .

But the story isn't just about hype. Beneath the "sold out" headlines is a more nuanced picture: which models are actually gone, which are still available, how much scalpers are charging, and — most unexpectedly — why the iPhone 17 Pro is suddenly selling faster than it has in months .

What Sold Out, and What's Still Available

The initial wave of pre-orders was concentrated on a few high-demand configurations. According to 9to5Mac and MacRumors, the iPhone 18 Pro Max in popular colors — particularly Black, Silver, and Burgundy — saw the fastest depletion .

As of Saturday evening Pacific Time, here's the shipping status for the iPhone 18 Pro Max :

The smaller iPhone 18 Pro fared better — as of early Saturday, most configurations were still showing September 18 delivery . But that window is closing. Apple Store pickup availability varies wildly by market, and inventory is expected to tighten across the board in the coming days.

Pricing: Double-Currency Breakdown

Apple's official pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro series is now confirmed. Here's the full breakdown in both USD and RMB :

Note: USD estimates for higher-capacity models are based on Apple's US pricing pattern; official US pricing for 512GB and above may vary slightly. Conversion reference: 1 USD ≈ 7.0 RMB.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at RMB9,999 — a RMB1,000 increase over the iPhone 17 Pro's launch price of RMB8,999 . Apple attributed the increase to rising memory and component costs, a theme that has affected the entire 2026 iPhone lineup.

For context, the US remains the cheapest market for the iPhone 18 Pro. At $1,199 (approximately RMB8,046 before tax), it undercuts the Chinese mainland price by nearly RMB2,000 .

The Scalper Premium: Up to RMB3,000

As with any high-demand Apple launch, third-party resale platforms saw immediate price surges. According to the科创板日报, the iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB in Silver reached an average transaction price of RMB13,999 — a RMB3,000 premium over the official RMB10,999 price, representing a 27.3% increase .

The Burgundy color, which has emerged as the most popular new finish, saw a more moderate but still significant premium :

Channel merchants caution that these prices may not hold. As one reseller told reporters: "Apple's production ramp-up is fast. Three to four weeks after launch, supply will increase significantly. Prices are high now because inventory is low — that will change" .

The Surprise Winner: iPhone 17 Pro

Perhaps the most unexpected development of pre-order weekend: the iPhone 17 Pro is selling faster than it has in months.

Since the iPhone 18 Pro launch, the iPhone 17 Pro has been officially discontinued and removed from Apple's website. But instead of fading away, it's become a value proposition. According to reports from Shenzhen and Beijing, offline authorized stores are seeing a surge in iPhone 17 Pro purchases, with prices dropping below RMB6,000 after subsidies .

What's Actually New (and Worth Paying For)

The iPhone 18 Pro's upgrades are real, but they're focused on specific use cases. Here's a quick breakdown of what changed :

PCMag's hands-on noted that the improvements are "sneaky awesome" — not immediately visible, but meaningful under the hood . The question for buyers is whether those improvements justify the RMB1,000 price increase over a discounted 17 Pro.

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Key Takeaways