Chinese retailers give up on the iPhone 15 and offer discounts north of 15%

Never trust a merchant when he swears, as the poet says. So far, Apple hasn’t uttered any profanity after numerous reports painted a bleaker-than-expected picture of iPhone 15 sales in China.

NOW, Reuters It appears that Chinese retailers are offering the iPhone at deep discounts, which could indicate that things aren’t looking very bright indeed.

A particular seller is selling the iPhone15 (512 GB) for 7,498 yuan: 1,501 yuan less than Apple’s official price of 8,999 yuan. Keep in mind that 1,501 yuan is approximately $205. When asked about the reduction, the company said it was in line with the strategy launched this year of offering low prices.

A reduction of 1,501 yuan from the official price of 8,999 yuan corresponds to a difference of (almost) 17%.

Additionally, this is the second (consecutive) time we’ve seen unusually high discounts on iPhones in China.

The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have been discounted by 700-800 yuan, which is equivalent to around $100, or 7-9% of the original price.

The maxed-out iPhone 15 Pro Max (again 512GB) gets a slightly more modest discount at 11%, going from a price of 11,999 yuan in Apple’s store to 10,698 yuan on the platform. Alibaba’s Taobao e-commerce.

In China, Apple occasionally allows partner suppliers to offer discounts to stimulate demand. But China’s e-commerce platforms are also engaged in a ‘value for money’ battle as consumers tighten their belts amid an economic slowdown, with discounts a focus of the upcoming annual China Day shopping festival. single, according to the report.

Counterpoint Research believes that things are bad for Apple, as the iPhone15 The range is believed to lag behind the iPhone 14 series after 17 days of measured availability.