Apple Offers Rare iPhone Discounts in China to Counter Sales Slump

Apple will launch a rare promotional discount on its iPhones in China, offering customers as much as 500 yuan ($70) off the price of its flagship devices ahead of the Lunar New Year in February.

apple discounts lunar new year 2024
The promotion, which runs from January 18 through January 21, applies to everything from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and also includes smaller discounts off other major Apple products like Macs, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watch models.

Apple's discounts are notable because the company does not typically offer promotions on its website around the Lunar New Year, usually leaving promotions to Apple authorized resellers instead.

The move comes as Apple tries to stave off falling iPhone sales in China, with last year's double-digit decline projected by analysts to deepen through 2024 owing to strong interest in Huawei's latest home-grown lineup, the Mate 60 series.

Released in September just weeks before the iPhone 15, Huawei's Mate 60 phones use a new China-made 7-nanometer processor tailored for the local market, showcasing the kind of advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities that US sanctions were originally designed to prevent.

Despite the promotions, Apple's efforts to counter its sales slump are likely to be hampered by China's decision last year to ban iPhones from the offices of multiple government agencies and state companies.

Tag: China

Top Rated Comments

nuff_said Avatar
10 weeks ago

I'm curious how Apple is doing in the Chinese market. In some sectors like automobiles, consumers seem to increasingly prefer local brands. Would not surprise me if we see similar developments in the smartphone market.
I believe, on a cost per unit basis, Apple is doing just fine in China - just like they are everywhere in the world, but the issue is units moved. This minor discount won’t help much because you’re attempting to attract a Chinese audience who are, just like most other people anywhere, facing larger issues than having the newest iPhone - which, if I recall correctly, Chinese carriers don’t offer subsidized contracts for.
Furthermore, Xiaomi, Huawei, and other Chinese companies are getting significantly better at locking people into their own respective ecosystems providing better and, more importantly, local experiences and benefits, at a fraction of the price Apple does.
I’m sure I’ll get a bunch of dislikes for this but here we go: Xiaomi, for example, has a large and valuable ecosystem offering in China at better prices and a more aesthetically pleasing hardware that works incredibly well when compared to what Apple provides (i.e. phone, watch, laptop, desktop, headphones, and soon headset)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kaishockz Avatar
10 weeks ago
Apple is doomed (in China)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
10 weeks ago
The catch is that you have to pick it up at the factory.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianlondon Avatar
10 weeks ago

discounts off
discounts on
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
10 weeks ago
Apple is double doomed!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
10 weeks ago
Lack of innovation. Sadly we won't experience those advanced phones.
Stuck with 15 PM which is a 14, which is a 13 basically. Same speed, 1 or 2 not so frequently used "new" features (and also some Features removed), and, off course, titanium as the greatest innovation in phone.Ever..
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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