iPhone 17 Goes on Sale in New York: Apple Fans Pack the Store, Tim Cook Makes Appearance

The brand new iPhone 17 series smartphones went on sale globally on the 19th, with Apple stores in the United States, China, and India packed with fans and long queues outside. The strong buying momentum also pushed Apple’s stock price up by 3.2%.

Outside the flagship store in New York, hundreds of Apple fans gathered, with many arriving in the middle of the night, bringing chairs and waiting to secure their spot. One person shared that he arrived at the scene with his father at midnight; another consumer revealed he has lined up to buy a new iPhone for three consecutive years, with his first time being to purchase the iPhone 10.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also visited the flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York, where he met with the fans waiting in line. Cook took commemorative photos with the first batch of customers in line for the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air.

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail, Deirdre O’Brien, also attended the event with him.

During an interview, Cook compared the launch day of the iPhone 17 to “Apple’s Super Bowl,” calling it the company’s most important day of the year.

Meanwhile, protesters appeared outside the flagship store, holding signs to protest that Apple has failed to sufficiently protect children from online harm.

One person held a large sign that read: “The new iPhone is also dangerous for children.”

Driven by strong sales, Apple's stock price rose 3.2%, closing at $237.88.

The new entry-level models come with significant upgrades to the screen and camera functions, narrowing the gap with the high-end Pro models and winning favor with consumers. Experts analyzed that while the strong sales of lower-priced models help to increase market share, this may also affect overall profit margins.