Apple offers Christmas discounts in China as competition from Huawei increases

Apple is offering discounts on its high-end iPhones and other products in China for the upcoming Chinese New Year, as the American tech giant faces increased competition in one of its most crucial markets.

The Cupertino giant is offering customers 500 Chinese yuan ($68.50) off the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, and 400 yuan off the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus. The offers also include discounts for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.

Apple has long resisted offering discounts through its own retail channels. Instead, third-party retailers would offer deals at certain times of the year. However, as competition increases, Apple has become more inclined in the last year to release seasonal deals.

Apple offered a similar Chinese New Year deal last year and in May, the company offered huge discounts as part of China’s 618 shopping festival.

The company’s latest challenge comes from the resurgence of Huawei and other domestic brands. Apple smartphone shipments fell 6% year-on-year in mainland China in the third quarter of 2024, according to Canalys. The company’s market share also fell to 14% from 16% a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Huawei’s shipments rose 24% year-on-year, Canalys data shows, while the company’s market share reached 16% from 13% a year earlier.

Huawei, once the world’s number one smartphone maker before US sanctions crippled its mobile phone business, has aggressively launched new devices from the second half of 2023. These devices contain chips that many had thought would be difficult to produce due to US restrictions on Huawei.

Last year, the Chinese technology company launched a The first foldable phone of its kind in an attempt to show off their technological capabilities.