China receives rare iPhone discounts from Apple, as well as discounts for its other gadgets. The American tech firm confirmed these special purchase offers as it struggles to increase its sales in its second-largest market.
A women uses a iPhone to record a video near a wall of flags at EXPO garden park during the national holiday on October 1, 2021 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. China is celebrating their 72nd National Day and a week-long holiday known as the "Golden Week".
On its website in China, Apple listed special discount offers for Chinese buyers. Among the products eligible for these discounts are the latest iPhone 15 models, as well as iPad and Mac models.
What's surprising about these Apple gadget discounts is that they will be offered by the electronics consumer giant via its official retail channel.
China Receives Rare iPhone Discounts From Apple
According to NBC News' latest report, Apple will start providing its rare discounts to Chinese consumers between Jan. 18 and Jan. 21. Among these markdowns is the $70 price deduction for the iPhone 15.
Aside from the iPhone 15 discount, Apple will offer a $112 deduction for its Mac and a $56 markdown for its iPad models.
This means that Apple's consumers in China will have more options, especially since the Lunar New Year in mid-February is about to happen. Third-party retailers in the Asian country commonly offer markdowns on iPhones and other Apple gadgets during holiday periods.
Since these third-party discounts will be partnered with Apple's own price markdowns, the iPhone maker expects its special offers to help it increase its sales in the second-largest market.
CNN Business reported that Apple announced its rare gadget discounts just over five months after its Chinese competitor, Huawei, released its popular smartphone; Mate 60 Pro.
Chinese consumers embraced the arrival of Mate 60 Pro more compared to when the iPhone 15 was released by Apple. Market analysts said that the Mate 60 Pro was so in demand, thanks to its advanced chipset, that U.S. officials had to scrutinize it.
As of writing, it is still too early to conclude that the upcoming rare iPhone discounts and other gadget markdowns will help Apple maintain its premium brand image in China.
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Apple's Sales in China Plummet
A woman gestures as she and others buy the newly launched iPhone 15 and other Apple products at a flagship store, on September 22, 2023 in Beijing, China. The iPhone 15 was officially launched in mainland China Friday, one of the worlds most valuable companys largest global markets.
Market analysts confirmed that Apple's iPhone sales in China plummeted by over 30% YoY during the first week of January. On the other hand, Huawei and Xiaomi remained strong as they maintained their high sales.
Analysts from Jefferies Group LLC-an American financial service firm-warned Apple that its iPhone sales could fall by double digits in China before 2024 ends.
"As we highlighted last week, iPhone's lower market share YoY in China is a negative surprise, and we believe the cannibalization is coming from not just HW, but also Xiaomi and 'others,'" said Jefferies analysts.
As of press time, Apple hasn't officially commented about its decreasing sales and increasing discounts in China.
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