Chinese customers on Friday filled up Apple’s flagship location in Shanghai, China’s financial centre on the first day of in-store availability for the iPhone 15 to purchase the device.

The demand for the gadget in Apple’s third-largest market has come under close examination from both fans and market observers following the introduction of a high-end alternative from Chinese manufacturer Huawei and the ensuing restrictions on iPhone use by government employees.

Worries have been allayed by the strength of pre-orders in the second-largest economy in the world, which started last Friday.

Delivery dates have been stretched into November, and the pricey iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max sold out on Alibaba’s Tmall e-commerce site in less than a minute.

According to local media, the queue began developing at the store in Shanghai’s East Nanjing Road retail district at about 5 a.m.

The iPhone 15 has a faster CPU, a redesigned titanium body, and better videogame playback capabilities. In a move that reflected the decline in smartphone sales worldwide, Apple also surprised by not increasing the prices.