Apple's current iPhone 15 series apparently needs help through discount campaigns in China. According to a market overview, major e-commerce providers in the Middle Kingdom deliver the iPhone 15 Pro Max for 1,300 yuan (166 euros) cheaper than Apple's list price. Similar discounts can also be found at competitors such as JD.com. In the comparable period of 2023, the discounts were only the equivalent of 110 euros for the iPhone 14, writes the financial news agency Bloomberg.
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Special offer also from Apple itself
It is common for e-commerce providers and large retailers to undercut Apple prices, sometimes by hundreds of euros, when products have already been on the market for a few months. This is also the case in Europe and the USA. It's worth taking a look at the large price comparison offers if you have some time to buy – Apple always delivers the fastest at the start of sales.
In addition to the larger dealer discounts, Apple unusually also took part in a discount campaign for Chinese New Year. In January there were price reductions of around 64 euros each on all available iPhone models (including the 15 series). Since it went on sale in September, the iPhone 15 is said to have performed less well in China than usual – despite improved hardware such as the retrofit of USB-C, titanium housings for the first time in the Pro models and better cameras.
China: Deflation and politics plague Apple
Apple is suffering from the current economic circumstances, but at the same time Chinese politics are also putting pressure on it. According to an analysis by market researcher IDC, Apple is now caught in the “deflation trend”. Android device manufacturers are also reducing prices. In the last quarter, Apple had to cope with a 13 percent decline in sales in Greater China (to almost 21 billion dollars).
Politicians, in turn, want Chinese users to primarily use local products – despite the fact that the iPhone is mainly manufactured in the People's Republic. Apple's competitor Huawei is benefiting from this and has recently grown strongly. Apple is also responding with discounts for trading partners. This is being billed as an early promotion for International Women's Day, market researchers said. Discount campaigns increasingly served to boost iPhone sales in China.
(bsc)