The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max began reaching customers in Vietnam on Sept. 18. But during the first sales wave, not everyone who wanted Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max was able to get one immediately.

Only around 15-20% of customers who pre-ordered the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max received their devices in the initial release, while the rest had to wait for subsequent batches.

VietNamNet's observations at retail chains during the launch showed that customers overwhelmingly favored the wine-red iPhone 18 Pro Max, followed by the ice-blue version. Silver and black attracted relatively few buyers.

As a result, many customers seeking the wine-red iPhone 18 Pro Max were unable to find one.

Some small independent iPhone retailers spotted an opportunity. They placed early orders for the new-color iPhone 18 Pro Max through Apple's authorized retail chains or bought pre-order slots from people who did not need their devices immediately, then resold the phones at a premium.

Q.N., an iPhone trader in Ho Chi Minh City, said that during initial launches he typically places early orders with major retail chains or buys pre-order slots offered for sale in online groups used by Apple product traders.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max devices obtained this way are then resold to customers who want the phone immediately but were unable to secure one through authorized retailers.

The profit on each resale was typically around VND5-7 million ($190-265), he said.

Part of that came from credit-card payment incentives, with retailers offering discounts of VND2 million ($76) on iPhone 18 Pro Max purchases using this payment method. Resellers could then charge customers VND3-5 million ($114-190) above retail prices depending on the color.

The wine-red model was particularly lucrative, with profits on some resales reaching VND7 million ($265).

Q.N. said, however, that the opportunity to profit from the price difference lasted only for the first one or two days of the launch and was no longer particularly attractive.

One reason is the limited number of wine-red units available. Another is that some consumers are waiting to see Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Duo before deciding whether to buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

T.H., who specializes in selling iPhones online in Ho Chi Minh City, offered a similar assessment. Compared with previous years, he said, buying and reselling Pro Max models to customers seeking early access has been less profitable this year.

T.H. made around VND1-3 million ($38-114) on each device.

He also attributed the weaker resale market partly to consumers waiting to see what Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Duo will offer.

In addition, the iPhone 18 Pro Max does not offer many upgrades over the iPhone 17 Pro Max, reducing the incentive for some users to upgrade.

Retail chain figures show that on the first day of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max sales in Vietnam, Mobile World's TopZone delivered around 20,000 devices to customers. CellphoneS delivered 10,000, FPT Shop around 3,000 and Minh Tuan Mobile more than 1,000.

Le My