iPhone in Vietnam is sold early like in the US, Apple Store is no longer important?

Apple Stores are symbolic of Apple's presence in a country. However, user benefits do not depend on one store.

Vietnamese people lined up to buy iPhones in front of an Apple Store in 2018. Photo: Xuan Tien .

According to sources from Apple's partner dealers in Vietnam, the iPhone 17 generation will likely be officially sold on the same day as in Group 1 markets such as the US and Singapore. This is a big step forward in the process of upgrading the quality of this company's services in Vietnam.

For years, users have been waiting for the company to open an Apple Store, to show its commitment to domestic customers. However, such a store is not as important as being treated fairly.

Apple Store does not mean early delivery

A market doesn't need to have an Apple Store to get early access to the iPhone. Conversely, the company doesn't guarantee that every official store will deliver the new phone on the same day around the world .

For example, the iPhone 15 was launched on September 12, 2023. Seven days later, the company delivered to markets such as Australia, the US, Singapore, etc. South Korea, a country with 6 operating Apple Stores, had no devices. It was not until October 13, 2023, more than a month after its launch, that the iPhone 15 reached Korean customers.

On the other hand, there are currently 17 countries in the world that have Apple Stores. However, in the first launch, Apple distributed the iPhone 16 to 58 countries on the list. Thus, the company's stores do not decide whether the phone will be distributed early or not.

Users buy iPhone 16 in Korea. Photo: Apple.

The Scoop of Korea believes that Apple's distribution policy revolves around three factors: price, time, and stores. These parts operate independently of each other, not dependent on each other as many people think. For example, Korea has 6 Apple Stores, but was "left out" during the iPhone 15 launch. Or Turkey, a country in the first launch, has the most expensive iPhone in the world.

What factors manufacturers use to classify and adjust policies in each country remains a secret. In 2019, in response to Tri Thuc - ZNews , a former senior manager of Apple Vietnam said that being overwhelmed by hand-carried goods caused iPhone sales to not be properly recorded for the domestic market, leading to the company ignoring them.

Meanwhile, Yonhap News commented that the Korean mobile industry is dominated by Samsung, causing Apple to not prioritize early distribution.

“After many years of penetration, it seems that the company has realized that Vietnamese users expect to own an iPhone soon, regardless of whether the company has an official store or not,” said D.M., the owner of a mobile business chain in Hanoi .

No Apple Store in the near future

Bloomberg in 2023 revealed Apple's plan to build and renovate 50 Apple Stores by 2027. However, this list does not mention Vietnam. The locations in Korea, Japan, India and Malaysia in the report are all correct.

Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores are known for their record-breaking sales per square foot, but Bloomberg says they’re more symbolic than actual sales expectations. The company gets most of its revenue from distribution partners or online channels.

Apple Store in Mumbai, India. Photo: Bloomberg.

“These points play a key role when customers receive their devices during the launch period and open classes to learn how to use the device,” reporter Mark Gurman commented.

In Vietnam, Apple has an official online store since 2023. However, this is not a unit that domestic customers are interested in. The company's main revenue still comes from retailers such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop or online channels Shopee, Lazada. Prices at dealers are often 10-20% cheaper than the listed price on the company's website, changing according to purchasing power instead of being fixed. The advantage of Apple's online store lies in high-configuration models that are often not available in outside stores, shopping experience, and returns according to Apple standards.

So, without an Apple Store, Vietnamese customers can still buy iPhones early at good prices. These factors directly affect the experience, instead of an iconic store.

In Vietnam, many mono store chains such as TopZone, F.Studio or ShopDunk are built based on Apple's standards. They partially reproduce the company's service quality. These units also regularly open classes to instruct users on how to use Apple devices, like at the Apple Store.

Source: https://znews.vn/iphone-o-viet-nam-ban-som-nhu-my-apple-store-khong-con-quan-trong-post1558444.html