Apple’s latest iPhones sell at rare $132-plus discounts in China

BEIJING – Apple’s latest iPhones are selling at discounts of over US$100 (S$132) in China, a rare steep price cut just months after launch that suggests dwindling demand for even its highest-end devices.

JD.com and state carrier China Mobile are among the retailers taking 800 yuan (S$156) off the iPhone 14 Pro range over 11 days. Retailers in the southern electronics hub of Shenzhen have also begun cutting prices for the same handsets by 700 yuan, the official China Securities Journal reported after visiting outlets around the city. Apple’s own local website, meanwhile, continues to offer devices at regular prices.

The discounting emerged around the end of the Chinese New Year, when retailers typically gear up for a holiday shopping spree before schools reopen. While it is unclear how long the cuts may persist, they note weak demand in the world’s largest smartphone arena just as Apple is counting on a recovery in China. Unusually, the 7 per cent to 9 per cent discounts on the iPhone Pro range mirror bargains offered on lower-end models, which usually get cut first.

“The discount seems bigger than what we found in January, which was 3 per cent to 4 per cent,” Jefferies analysts wrote in a research note on Sunday. “We see that as a sign of weak demand.”

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Apple last week

reported its first quarterly revenue decline since 2019,

blaming output disruptions at its biggest manufacturing partner in China as well as sputtering global demand. But chief executive officer Tim Cook pointed to a rebound in the Chinese market, which had only just dropped strict Covid-19 restrictions that hammered the economy.

Still, smartphone sales are likely to contract again in 2023 after falling last year, firms including Samsung Electronics have warned.

While Apple did not give a detailed outlook for the current quarter, it said its performance would mirror that of the December period. This suggests a possible revenue fall of about 5 per cent, although the company has said iPhone revenue would accelerate in the March quarter.

Sales of the four iPhone 14 models over their first 38 days in China were down 28 per cent against the iPhone 13 family, Jefferies analysts estimate. BLOOMBERG