Apple is offering the iPhone at heavy discounts in China. The Cupertino device maker is looking to regain market share from a surging Huawei. Apple is offering discounts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318 USD) off the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s latest round of discounts is much larger than those it offered back in February. The discounts run from May 20 to May 28.
Apple’s official store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall site is currently offering a flagship 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max for 7,949 yuan ($1,199). The handset carried a 9,999 yuan price tag when it was released in September. Meanwhile, an entry-level 128GB iPhone 15 model carries a discounted price tag of 4,599 yuan ($636), down from its previous 5,999 yuan price.
Apple has struggled in the Chinese market off and on over the years. Huawei dominated the Chinese market until the larger-screened iPhone 6 debuted in 2014. This kicked off a head-to-head battle between the two smartphone makers.
Apple took the top spot following the U.S. government’s sanctions on Huawei, preventing the exportation of advanced chips from the U.S., including 5G radio chips used by Huawei. Huawei’s sales fell precipitously, greatly benefiting Apple’s iPhone sales.
Huawei was eventually able to find a 5G chip supplier, allowing it to launch a new premium 5G-powered smartphone. Apple’s Chinese iPhone sales suffered greatly following Huawei’s return.
Reuters says Apple’s discount strategy appears to be working.
Apple’s shipments in China increased by 12% in March, according to Reuters’ calculations based on data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). This marks a significant improvement from the first two months of 2024, when the company experienced a 37% slump in sales.
Apple’s February discounts were believed to be a response to Chinese consumers’ burgeoning interest in Huawei’s Mate 60 series, which launched last August.
Apple’s Chinese sales in China plunged, falling 13% to $20.8 billion in the fourth calendar quarter, missing the $23.5 billion target analysts had predicted.
Apple’s February promotions performed well for the company. Reuters reports that Apple’s shipments in the country increased by 12% during March, a significant increase from the first two months of 2024 when the company saw a 37% slump in sales.
iPhone buyers in the United States should not expect to see similar discounts, as the best U.S. consumers can expect is a slight increase in trade-in values for old iPhones.
Until June 3, you can expect the following for your iPhone trade-in: