Apple has launched a rare Chinese New Year discount promotion in China, running from January 4 through January 7. This includes up to ~$70 savings on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as well as discounts on other iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Pencil.
The atypical sales promotion on the latest iPhone 16 lineup arrives as investors question the stability of iPhone demand in the region. It may be interpreted as Apple feeling the pressure from domestic phone manufacturers like Huawei.
The discounts are available when customers buy through Apple using select payment methods, like WeChat or Alipay.
The promotion is notable as Apple generally doesn’t advertise discounts on the latest iPhone models, if it can help it. For instance, in the US, the Black Friday promotions exclude the new iPhone models altogether from the gift card promotion. However, Apple has run similar New Year promotions intermittently in China in the past.
Apple has been facing a weakening grip on the Chinese smartphone market for a while, with local Chinese brands taking hold. This impact has also reflected in its financials. Apple’s total reported revenues in China were down 3% year-over-year last quarter.
Apple will officially announce earnings results for the just-gone holiday quarter in about a month’s time, which will give investors a clearer picture about how well the iPhone 16 is faring in the marketplace.
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