Some major Chinese e-commerce platforms have significantly discounted Apple 's new iPhone 16 series ahead of its official release, signalling potentially weak demand in the world's largest smartphone market. The price cuts come as consumers await Apple's first on-device artificial intelligence (AI) software, which won't be available in Chinese at launch.
PDD Holdings' Pinduoduo is offering the iPhone 16 Plus (512GB) at 8,999 yuan ($1,268), a 10% reduction from the official price, according to the South China Morning Post. The 128GB iPhone 16 model has an even steeper 11% discount.
On Alibaba 's platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) is being sold at a 4% discount. Tmall is also offering interest-free 24-month instalment plans for Apple handsets.
The discounts suggest Apple faces challenges in China, a crucial market for the tech giant. The iPhone 16, shipping this Friday, lacks AI features considered its main selling point. While Apple plans to launch its AI system in US English next month, Chinese language support won't be available until next year.
Initial response on Chinese social media has also been been lukewarm, as per reports.
Globally, first-weekend pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series dropped nearly 13% compared to last year's iPhone 15 launch, partly due to the absence of Apple Intelligence at release, reports TF International Securities analyst Kuo Ming-chi .
Apple's position in China is further threatened by intense domestic competition. The company recently fell out of the top five smartphone vendors in China by quarterly shipments, with local brands now dominating the premium segment, according to research firms Counterpoint and Canalys.
Despite these challenges, Apple has lowered trade-in values for older devices in China by up to 16%, suggesting confidence in its market position, Jefferies analysts noted.
PDD Holdings' Pinduoduo is offering the iPhone 16 Plus (512GB) at 8,999 yuan ($1,268), a 10% reduction from the official price, according to the South China Morning Post. The 128GB iPhone 16 model has an even steeper 11% discount.
On Alibaba 's platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) is being sold at a 4% discount. Tmall is also offering interest-free 24-month instalment plans for Apple handsets.
The discounts suggest Apple faces challenges in China, a crucial market for the tech giant. The iPhone 16, shipping this Friday, lacks AI features considered its main selling point. While Apple plans to launch its AI system in US English next month, Chinese language support won't be available until next year.
Initial response on Chinese social media has also been been lukewarm, as per reports.
Globally, first-weekend pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series dropped nearly 13% compared to last year's iPhone 15 launch, partly due to the absence of Apple Intelligence at release, reports TF International Securities analyst Kuo Ming-chi .
Apple's position in China is further threatened by intense domestic competition. The company recently fell out of the top five smartphone vendors in China by quarterly shipments, with local brands now dominating the premium segment, according to research firms Counterpoint and Canalys.
Despite these challenges, Apple has lowered trade-in values for older devices in China by up to 16%, suggesting confidence in its market position, Jefferies analysts noted.
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