Apple is offering discounts of up to 500 yuan ($68.50) on its latest iPhone models in China as part of a four-day promotion from January 4 to 7.
The discount applies to several iPhone models when purchased with specific payment methods, including WeChat Pay or Alipay.
The flagship iPhone 16 Pro, priced from 7,999 yuan, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, starting at 9,999 yuan, will receive the highest discount of 500 yuan. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be discounted by 400 yuan.
Apple is also offering smaller discounts of 200 to 300 yuan on older iPhone models, as well as on other products like MacBooks and iPads.
The move comes as Apple faces growing competition in China, particularly from Huawei, which has intensified its presence in the premium smartphone segment. Huawei, after returning to the high-end market in August 2023 with locally-made chipsets, recently slashed prices on a range of high-end devices, including smartphones, by up to 3,000 yuan.
Despite a brief drop out of China’s top five smartphone vendors in Q2 2024, Apple regained its position in Q3. However, Apple’s sales in China still declined by 0.3% in the third quarter compared to the previous year, while Huawei’s sales grew by 42%, according to IDC data.
The discounts come at a time when consumer spending in China remains cautious due to the slowing economy and deflationary pressures, with consumer inflation hitting a five-month low in November.
