Apple is resorting to significant price cuts on the iPhone 15 series in mainland China to revive stagnant sales. Major online retailers like JD.com and Alibaba’s Tmall platform are offering the phones at new low prices. For example, the top-end 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max is currently priced at 7,949 yuan ($1,100) on these platforms. This represents a significant drop of RMB 2,050 (20%) from the original launch price of RMB 9,999 in September 2023.

The price of the base 128GB iPhone 15 also dropped by 23%, from 5,999 yuan ($829) to 4,599 yuan ($635). Please note that Apple’s official mainland online store lists the iPhone 15s at its original price. Discount valid on major e-commerce platforms only.

It is believed that Apple is offering such aggressive discounts to stimulate Chinese audiences’ interest in its flagship product. For those who don’t know, iPhone sales in Greater China (which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) fell 8% to $16.4 billion in the March quarter.

Apple’s unusual discount strategy in Chinese online markets began in January. This comes after several Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Honor reduced the prices of their phones in both online and offline markets.

So in the same month, Apple offered discounts of up to 800 yuan on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, AirPods and Apple Watch on its mainland online store. Apple’s share of the smartphone market in mainland China fell to 15.7% in the March quarter, from 20.2% in the same period a year ago, according to research firm Counterpoint.

The drop placed them behind Vivo (17.4% share) and Honor (16.1% share). Huawei gained 15.5% market share in the same period with the successful return of the 5G phone with the Mate 60 Pro.

Despite concerns, iPhone discounts may have some positive consequences for Apple. Data released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology earlier this month showed that foreign smartphone shipments in China increased by 12% compared to March 2023. Although the academy did not specify a brand, Apple generally dominates foreign phone sales on the mainland. Chinese.