iPhone 16 goes on sale: Huge queues form outside Apple Stores

BEIJING, CHINA: After months of fevered anticipation from fans, Apple's latest flagship phone, the iPhone 16, finally goes on sale today

• Gadget fans rush to be among the first to buy Apple's new flagship device
• READ MORE: iPhone fans hail 'incredible' feature - but will it work with a case?

After months of fevered anticipation, Apple's latest flagship phone, the iPhone 16, finally goes on sale today.

Among the first to get their hands on the device are devout customers in Asia, some of whom lined up in the pouring rain on Friday morning before shops opened.

Photos show big queues forming outside Apple Stores in Thailand, China, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea as many fans wanted to be among the first buyers.

However, iPhone mania doesn't seem to have reached British shores in quite the same way.

Early photos of London's Regent's Street store this morning appear to show moderate queues outside, allowing people to breeze straight in.

iPhone 16, which was revealed at an event earlier this month, is described by Apple as 'the beginning of a new era for iPhone'.

The iPhone 16 features new AI capabilities, camera upgrades and a boost in battery life, and is available in a range of colours.

The device also has a new button that activates the camera app – a feature described as 'incredible' and the 'coolest feature ever' by fans.

'This is the perfect time for customers to upgrade or make the switch to iPhone,' said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing.

However, the new device doesn't come cheap – the standard baseline iPhone 16 model starts at £799/$799

And the most expensive option, the iPhone 16 Pro Max – which has bigger battery, display and storage capacity – goes from £1,199/$1,199

Meanwhile, in Thailand, iPhone 16 is widely available for purchase in Thailand with a cheaper price tag than the previous iPhone 15, resulting from a stronger Thai baht against the US dollar.

Admittedly, the Californian tech giant's ability to stir up such excitement in Asia with a new iPhone every year is impressive.

Despite the popularity of Asian smartphone makers such as Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi, Apple holds the top market share in the continent.

According to Statcounter, Apple's market share in Asia was 19.2 per cent in August 2024, just above Korean firm Samsung (18.5 per cent).

Other big sellers in Asia are Chinese firms Xiaomi (15.2 per cent of the market), Vivo (9.7 per cent) and Oppo (8.7 per cent).

Globally speaking, Apple has 27.7 per cent of the market, followed by Samsung with 23.5 per cent and Xiaomi with 12.1 per cent, according to Statcounter.

However, market leaders regularly fluctuate and all could change depending on the success of iPhone 16, which may be followed by a new 'budget' iPhone early next year.

iPhone 16 is powered by new A18 chips, which are designed for intensive AI-related tasks – namely Apple Intelligence, Apple's much touted suite of AI features.

Apple Intelligence – which includes a version of smart assistant Siri integrated with ChatGPT – will only arrive with iOS 18.1, which is set to become available from next month.