Apple dealers in China sell iPhone 15 Pro Max at US$160 discount, as rivals like Huawei lure away high-end consumers

Apple-authorised retailers are offering steep discounts on the latest iPhone series in China, in a fresh round of promotions aimed at reviving sales there, as the Californian tech giant faces stiff competition from domestic brands, such as Huawei Technologies.

The top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max, launched last September, is selling for 8,849 yuan (US$1,230) on Alibaba Group Holding's e-commerce platform Tmall and rival JD.com, roughly 1,150 yuan cheaper than the original price.

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The discounts are part of the platforms' sales promotion for International Women's Day on March 8. Prices for the iPhone 15 series remain unchanged on Apple's official mainland China website.

Shoppers look at the iPhone 15 Pro at an Apple store in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters alt=Shoppers look at the iPhone 15 Pro at an Apple store in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters>

The latest price cuts by authorised dealers more than double the maximum 500 yuan discount that Apple provided in mid-January on its official online store, which applied to customers buying any models in the iPhone 15 line.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

The iPhone discounts are in line with expectations, said Toby Zhu, senior analyst at market research firm Canalys, adding that Apple should be aware of its growing inventory of iPhones, which have been expanding since the end of last year.

The new promotions underscore the mounting pressure that Apple is under in China, as local smartphone manufacturers jostle for bigger shares of the premium handset segment, according to analysts.

"Apple is feeling the competition from local vendors, as companies including Huawei move towards the premium category," said Guo Tianxiang, senior analyst at market consultancy IDC China.

Huawei climbed to the top spot of the Chinese smartphone market in the first two weeks of this year, thanks in part to its release of the Mate 60 Pro models last August, which are equipped with advanced 5G chips, according to tech market researcher Counterpoint.

Customers browse a Huawei store in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Customers browse a Huawei store in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE>

iPhone sales have been weak since the beginning of this year, while premium Android handsets - defined as those priced at above 4,000 yuan - have seen strong demand, according to IDC's Guo.

Consumers are swayed by the narrowing gap between functions offered by the iPhone and those by high-end Android models, he said. While iPhone models in the past few years had only incremental upgrades, their Android counterparts have been making technological strides.

None of the iPhone models are foldable phones, which are becoming increasingly popular among high-end users in China.

Apple has also been slower than rivals in incorporating generative artificial intelligence functions into smartphones, although CEO Tim Cook told shareholders this week that the company will disclose its AI plans later this year.

The iPhone is contending with structural changes in the sector, such as the emergence of a new paradigm in premium mobile phone design, according to a research note in January by Kuo Ming-chi, an analyst at TF International Securities known for his accurate assessment of the Apple supply chain.

Those transformations will lead to a continuous decline in iPhone shipments in the Chinese market this year, he said.

Apple reported a nearly 13 per cent drop in revenue from Greater China - which includes the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan - in the December quarter.

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