Apple offers discounts for iPhones and Macs to stimulate decreased sales
Apple will offer discounts of up to 800 yuan (US$112.50) on each device of its latest iPhones and Mac computers in China, the company said on its local website on Monday.
The rare iPhone price cut – only several months after the iPhone 15 models' debut – and the rare move of using its own website for the announcement, means that Apple is facing stiff competition from domestic brands such as Huawei, Vivo, and Honor and its sales are declining in the domestic market, analysts said.
Apple will offer discounts of as much as 500 yuan on its latest iPhones in China, and up to 800 yuan for Mac computers, with a limited-time deal between January 18 and 21, Apple said on its Chinese website on Monday.
It's expected to stimulate the sales of iPhone 15 models in China ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, which falls next month. It is the biggest festival in the country with family reunions and gift purchases.
A screenshot from the Apple China website, offering discounts on iPhones and Macs.
However, Apple's discount means a lack of demand for iPhones from Chinese consumers, analysts said.
Guo Tianxiang, IDC China's senior analyst, commented on Monday that the iPhone 15's innovation and upgrades are "limited."
Chinese brands' moves have applied pressure to Apple, such as the return of Huawei, the debut of Xiaomi 14 models, Vivo's flagship X100 models, and Honor's foldable phones, Guo added.
Apple's iPhone sales in China will likely see a double digit decline in 2024 with "much stronger" domestic competition, a recent note from Jefferies analysts suggested.
In the first week of 2024, Jefferies analysts reported that Apple's iPhone sales in China dropped by 30 percent.
Before that, the price of Apple's iPhone 15 had dropped in Chinese e-commerce channels since October, only one month after its debut.
