Apple and Samsung offer Chinese consumers more affordable products
A young consumer tests a Samsung Galaxy A8s in Shanghai. The model starts from 2,799 yuan, much more affordable than flagship models.
Apple and Samsung have penetrated middle-level market segments in the world’s largest mobile market by slashing prices and offering more affordable products, Shanghai Daily learned today.
Starting from today, the iPhone 8 is being sold at around 3,999 yuan (US$588) in Chinese online retail stores, covering JD.com, Suning and Alibaba’s Tmall, a record low price and 1,200 yuan lower than Apple’s official price.
Different from auction websites and grey markets, the new prices are offered by “official Apple retailers” online, which means the price drop strategy may come from Apple.
Apple don’t comment on the issue today. It cut sales forecasts in the previous quarter, the first time in at least 17 years, blaming lower-than-expected iPhone sales in emerging markets, including China.
Samsung, still the world’s No. 1 smartphone vendor, have also launched its A series products in China, targeting the middle-level market.
The new Galaxy A8s offers a big screen, 24-mega-pixel camera and special image optimization tools in a glass design, aiming to woo young consumers who like taking selfies, Samsung said at a marketing event recently in Shanghai.
The Galaxy A8s starts at 2,799 yuan, half the price of the company’s flagship model.
In the third calendar quarter of 2018, China’s smartphone sales fell 15.2 percent year on year, according to Canalys.
In December, Apple offered big discounts for iPhone trade-ins. Its aggressive pricing policy in December saw the new iPhone XS selling from 6,599 yuan with a trade-in — more than 2,000 yuan lower than the official price of 8,699 yuan.
