Apple Offers iPhone 15s At Rare Discount In China

Apple is offering rare discounts on its iPhones in China, cutting retail prices by as much as 500 yuan ($70) amid growing competitive pressure in the world's biggest smartphone market, Josh Ye reported for Reuters.

The time-limited promotion, branded as a Lunar New Year event, will last from January 18 through January 21 in a lead-up to the holiday in mid-February. I Photo: Apple

The US tech giant cut prices of some iPhones by 5%, its Chinese website showed on Monday.

The time-limited promotion, branded as a Lunar New Year event, will last from January 18 through January 21 in a lead-up to the holiday in mid-February. Sales of Apple's latest iPhone 15 series of handsets have been far worse than previous models in China.

Home-grown rivals such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi offer competitive models, while sources have said some companies and government departments have been limiting staffers' use of Apple devices - mirroring US government restrictions on Chinese apps on security grounds.

Chinese iPhone sales dropped 30% in the first week of 2024 versus the same period a year earlier, Jefferies analysts said in a client note, having fallen 3% for all of 2023. Analysts expect the competitive landscape to get tougher this year.

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