Apple retailers in China are offering significant iPhone discounts in order to spur demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple iPhone buyers China can now pick up an iPhone for just US$700 on some e-commerce sites. That’s on par with the starting price in the U.S., but it’s a huge discount for China.
On JD.com, Apple’s iPhone 11 (64GB) now costs 4,999 yuan (US$708), 500 yuan (US$70) cheaper than the original price. The iPhone 11 Pro has an even steeper price cut of 1,200 yuan (US$170) off. The flagship iPhone 11 Pro Max is now selling for 1,600 yuan (US$227) off.
JD.com isn’t alone. The same price cuts can be found on electronics retailers Suning and Guomei. But Apple’s official website in China hasn’t cut the price. Chinese media outlet National Business Daily reported that Apple had no comment when asked whether the price cuts were authorized by the company.
According to a new report by Strategy Analytics, 37% of 1,300 Chinese consumers surveyed between March 21 and March 25 have delayed buying a new smartphone. New 5G phones were expected to help boost the smartphone market this year, but 32% of consumers also said they delayed 5G adoption… Strategy Analytics also found that China’s Apple users are optimistic about new purchases compared with users of other brands. The firm’s director of smartphone research Linda Sui said this is because Apple users tend to be younger people who are more ambitious and tech savvy.
MacDailyNews Take: This is a smart move to offer iPhone discounts in China to boost iPhone demand, especially ahead of the 5G iPhone super cycle, plus, as a bonus, this also hurts those who peddle iPhone knockoffs because Android makers operate on slim or no margins and cannot cut prices dramatically without losing money. 🙂
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]