The iPhone SE is already becoming a hit in some markets

Mar 29, 2016 09:11 GMT  ·  By

Apple took the wraps off the new iPhone SE last week, and the pre-order program kicked off on March 24, with the company planning to start shipments by the end of the month in markets around the world.

The very first early figures for the iPhone SE show that the device is already becoming a hit, with pre-orders going extremely well especially in markets where the more expensive iPhone 6s or 6s Plus failed to sell in big numbers.

One particular example is China, as the price of the latest iPhones has been prohibitive, to say the least. A report by CNBC claims that Apple has received more than 3.4 million pre-orders for the iPhone SE from China, with Rose Gold and Gold said to be the most popular colors.

Not everyone impressed with the iPhone SE

And yet, not everyone in China seems to be thinking that the iPhone SE is worth the money. Some Chinese retailers believe that the iPhone SE is a rather bland device and would hardly sell in big numbers, despite the optimistic figures recorded during the pre-order program.

“The new iPhone SE has no revolutionary update. I don't think the demand will be as strong as the iPhone 6 and 6s,” one local retailer said, adding that he decided to sell the iPhone SE at a small discount in order to make it more appealing to Chinese buyers and contradict the rather unimpressive hardware upgrade.

The iPhone SE comes with almost the same design as the old iPhone 5S but features hardware available on the latest models, including the A9 and M9 processors, the 12-megapixel camera, and an NFC chip for Apple Pay. On the other hand, it sports an old fingerprint sensor from the iPhone 6, as well as the 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera from the same device, while the design is largely the same as the one of the iPhone 5S.