Aimed at boosting sales as local smartphone manufacturers like Huawei Technologies continue nipping at its heels, Apple (AAPL, Financial) has announced discounts of up to 500 yuan (about $68) on its current iPhone models in China.
According to Apple's Chinese website, the promotion—which runs from January 4 to January 7—applies to multiple iPhone models bought with particular payment methods. Under identical circumstances, discounts of up to 800 yuan are also being offered on several items, including MacBooks. Apple is under increasing pressure in China, where Huawei has reinforced its market share. During JD.com's "Super Brand Day" campaign, Huawei recently lowered prices on luxury goods, including cellphones, by up to 3,000 yuan (approximately $411).
Apple's iPhone sales dropped double-digit in November 2024 during China's Singles' Day shopping festival; Counterpoint Research notes fierce competition. Official statistics show that foreign smartphone brands—including Apple—also had significant October 2024 declining Chinese sales. Apple is under fire for not including artificial intelligence technologies in its devices offered in China. According to reports, Apple is looking at joint ventures with Chinese tech companies including Tencent and Baidu to include artificial intelligence features into its products.
Huawei's comeback is underway. Following the unexpected release of the Mate 60 series in 2023, Huawei debuted the Mate 70 series in late 2024. Launched a few hours after Apple unveiled its iPhone 16 series, the company also got over 3 million pre-orders for its Mate XT smartphone in September 2024.
