Apple is currently providing rare discounts on its iPhones and other products in China, a move considered unusual for the tech giant amid growing competition in the Asian smartphone market. The discounts, offered in conjunction with the Lunar New Year event, are featured on Apple’s official Chinese website and include up to 500 RMB ($70) off the latest iPhone models. Additionally, flagship Apple products such as the Mac and iPad are subject to discounts of up to 800 RMB ($112) and 400 RMB ($56) respectively. The promotion is scheduled to run from January 18 to January 21.
While third-party sellers occasionally offer discounts on Apple products, the company itself rarely engages in such promotions, aiming to maintain a premium brand image, a strategy crucial for attracting high-end buyers in China.
This move comes approximately five months after the release of Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro, a smartphone that gained significant popularity among Chinese consumers. Huawei’s use of an advanced chip in its device has attracted scrutiny from US officials. Around the same time, reports surfaced suggesting that China had banned the use of iPhones by central government officials. However, a Chinese government spokesperson later denied the existence of any such laws or rules.
The discounted iPhone prices in China have sparked concerns about the recent demand for Apple products in the country, which has traditionally been a crucial market for the company, accounting for about one-fifth of its global sales last year. According to Counterpoint Research, iPhone 15 sales in China during the first two weeks after its September launch were down 4.5% compared to iPhone 14 sales. Furthermore, Jefferies Research reported a 30% decline in iPhone sales in the first week of the year. China remains one of Apple’s key markets, ranking second in sales globally, just behind North America. However, the challenges in China’s economy over the past year have contributed to Apple’s overall growth struggles, leading to its recent loss of the title of the stock market’s most valuable company to Microsoft.
