15th January 2024 – (Shanghai) Apple, the renowned U.S. tech giant, has taken a noteworthy step in the highly competitive Chinese smartphone market by reducing the retail prices of its iPhones. The company has implemented price cuts of up to 500 yuan (HK$70), as indicated on its Chinese website on Monday. This limited-time promotion, dubbed the Lunar New Year event, will be available from 18th January to 21st January, leading up to the mid-February holiday.
The sales performance of Apple’s latest iPhone 15 series in China has been considerably weaker compared to previous models. Domestic competitors such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi have been offering compelling alternatives, while reports suggest that certain companies and government agencies have restricted their employees from using Apple devices, echoing the U.S. government’s security-related limitations on Chinese apps.
According to analysts at Jefferies, Chinese iPhone sales experienced a significant 30% decline in the first week of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. This follows a 3% drop in sales throughout 2023. Analysts anticipate that the competitive landscape will become even more challenging for Apple this year.
It is worth noting that Apple has not reduced prices for its latest iPhones in quite some time. These price cuts come as a surprise to the market, especially considering that the company refrained from raising prices for the iPhone 15 series during its launch in September.
In addition to Apple’s own price adjustments, online shopping platforms like Pinduoduo have been offering discounts of up to 16% on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro since the beginning of this year.
The post Apple offers rare discounts on iPhones in China amid intensifying competition appeared first on Dimsum Daily.
English (US) ·