Chinese version of iPhone 13 Pro Max

1. Probably
2. Perhaps some
3. Going to be tricky, need to choose between setting up the phone as Dutch and not be able to get Chinese apps or set up as Chinese phone and start again. You may have problems with your Dutch payment card in a chinese setup phone.
4. There is no International warranty, The Chinese phone will not be able to get warranty or service when you get home to Holland.
5. Assuming you don't get any faults, yes. Otherwise travelers are advised (buy me) always carry your old iphone (that you wisely did not trade-in) as a spare and use SIMs not eSIM and get the repairs done when you get back to where you bought it. I would be disappointed that an international company does not provide international service but it is not my place to say so. I don't know if a top end Android phone is any easier to use internationally.

LD150 wrote:

We are probably misleading Mmmuserrr, the normal wisdom, and the standard response likely to get marked Apple Recommended, is that Apple Stores in Holland will not offer any warranty or repairs on a Chinese market iphone.

All we can really point to is where people have gotten (paid) repairs. Obviously the issue with warranties is clear and unambiguous. However, I specifically remember a case posted here where someone with an iPhone distributed by Apple in the Philippines reportedly received a battery service (might have been in Singapore) from an Apple Store. There's nothing functionally that shouldn't allow it. No guarantees of course, but I always say it's worth a try.

I know people who have visited other countries and brought them Apple devices purchased in the USA as presents. I've counseled them about the possible limitation with the warranty and maybe even repairs, but apparently US-spec iPhones are extremely popular around the world for any number of reasons, including compatibility around the world, and features that are permanently unavailable in other countries, like FaceTime.

But for the OP, it might make more sense to get someone to buy an unlocked iPhone in the EU and have it shipped to China. Not sure what the deal would be with duties, but as a "gift" it might have some exemptions.

Mmmuserrr wrote:

The information from Apple Support (in my case the call was directed to an overseas call center with English speaking staff) and the staff from the Apple Store is conflicting. Both on the phone and in the store, the staff took at least 15 minutes to check with back-office support. As you seem to know the answer ("applied consistently"), could you enlighten us so that we can mark the question as solved?

Nobody really knows. All we have is anecdotal. But I personally think it's worth a try if one can spare the time and a visit to an Apple Store. If it's in a place with only an Apple Authorized Service Provider, I would think long and hard about it as many are notorious for charging money for every little thing, like diagnostics.

These are the US warranty terms (which are pretty similar to the terms in other countries) for iPhones, but they really hedge with a lot of maybes. I get the reasons why some people want to buy an iPhone here and eventually use the same iPhone there. Just be prepared to hear no and I think many could live with it.

Legal - iOS Warranty Document Us - Apple

IMPORTANT RESTRICTION FOR iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE TV and HOMEPOD SERVICE.

Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and HomePod to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device.

********

Apple reserves the right to change the method by which Apple may provide warranty service to you, and your Apple Product’s eligibility to receive a particular method of service. Service will be limited to the options available in the country where service is requested. Service options, parts availability and response times may vary according to country. Apple may use Apple Products or replacement parts for service that are sourced from a country that is different from the country from which the Apple Product or original parts were sourced. You may be responsible for shipping and handling charges if the Apple Product cannot be serviced in the country it is in. If you seek service in a country that is not the original country of purchase, you will comply with all applicable import and export laws and regulations and be responsible for all custom duties, V.A.T. and other associated taxes and charges. Where international service is available, Apple may repair or replace Apple Products and parts with comparable Apple Product and parts that comply with local standards.

I don't know if you're familiar with American movies, but there's a rather famous line used to describe lost causes.

So you're telling me there's a chance......

Good luck with it. Hopefully you won't need warranty or repair service. At the very least I've heard many reports that getting battery replacements is rarely an issue.

Despite claims to the contrary there are few anecdotes regarding people getting their phones replaced under warranty in a different country and Apple's warranty says "may restrict" which would lean more towards NOT replacing a phone under warranty rather than doing do.

If you are going to be spending half of your time in either location then pay your money and take your chances and hope if you need warranty service you are in the country where you purchased it. If you are splitting time 70/30 buy it in the one where you will spend 70% of your time, you will have better odds.

There is another factor you need to consider, the Chinese phone has dual physical SIMs while the EU model does not. China does not support eSIMS. So you might want to consider that in your purchase decision.

Good luck to you whichever route you go and I hope you never need warranty service.

I'd just say that it's not necessarily regional. The ability to access the warranty (and possibly repair) is country specific, although most seem to believe that the EU is treated as a single country for that purpose. Every country has its own regulatory requirements for cellular devices. Since many of Apple's "repairs" involve a full replacement with a functionally identical device, they're going to have issues with that.

Whether or not you would be able to access basic OEM repairs such as battery or screen assembly replacement in another country may be a matter of whether or not they allow that locally.

There is no international warranty which is the most important fact that we should be putting out to users about to part with $1000 on a new phone.

Second is that western stores like in Europe or US are very unlikely to repair phones from more Eastern sources, even for money. They would not want to offer a 90 day warranty.

I am leaving this thread, Mmmuserrr has got both messages, if they want to accept yours then that is at their risk.

Yes, standard policy is that warranty service that requires equipment replacement is restricted to the country where the device was purchased.

Your Chinese phone will work in either country but if you are in Europe and the phone needs to be replaced you will have to return to China, Macau or Hong Kong.

There have been thousands of posts here from people who purchased a phone from one country (usually the US) and tried to get warranty service in another. They were told they could not do so.

From the warranty documentation

USA - Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and HomePod to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device.

Netherlands- Apple kan de garantieservice voor Apple TV beperken tot landen waarin Apple of erkende resellers van Apple het apparaat verkopen.

China - 有關 iPHONE、iPAD、APPLE TV 和 HOMEPOD 維修的重要限制。

針對 iPHONE、iPAD、APPLE TV 和 HOMEPOD，APPLE 得限制僅於 APPLE 或其授權經銷商最初銷售該裝置之國家/地區內提供保固服務。

Translation IMPORTANT LIMITATIONS ON REPAIR OF iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE TV AND HOMEPOD.

For iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE TV and HOMEPOD, APPLE may limit warranty service to only the country in which APPLE or its authorized resellers originally sold the device.

In mostcases I would say "may" means "will"

When I worked for Verizon (U.S.), we were unable to activate phones intended for sale in China. There were restrictions in the software. I would attempt to contact your Dutch carrier and find out if they have any issues with the Chinese version.

We are probably misleading Mmmuserrr, the normal wisdom, and the standard response likely to get marked Apple Recommended, is that Apple Stores in Holland will not offer any warranty or repairs on a Chinese market iphone.

Mmmuserrr wrote:

4: According to Apple Support, the warranty, and extended warranty with Apple Care, is limited abroad, but only when it concerns parts that are different. The support staff even suggested that in case a complete replacement would be needed, you may end up with a model from a different region. This is very different from what they told me in the Apple Store here in China, where they claimed that outside China there would be no warranty.

The main issue with an overseas "warranty" by Apple for iPhones is that there doesn't seem to be any consistency in how it's applied.

LD150 wrote:

The reason in this case would probably be they don't have the parts or tooling to repair phones with two physical SIM cards. There will be physical differences inside.

Apple doesn't actually repair anything related to a malfunction on the logic board, such as the SIM card slots. That's where it's completely replaced.

LD150 wrote:

I know, I was talking about screens and batteries. And they would not want to replace a Chinese phone with a European one.

That was my original thought, but I wasn't sure why a battery or screen assembly would be an issue. As far as I can tell, those components aren't any different between iPhones for distribution anywhere in the world. I'll just say the people I've known who decided to go cheap and fix up their iPhones in China via third party repair had no problems getting that done there. At least not with the parts fitting.