Screenshot from Apple China's official website regarding the new year promotion event, which runs from Saturday to Tuesday, offering discounts of up to 800 yuan ($110). Photo: Apple China

Just days into the new year, Apple China is set to launch a new promotion event from Saturday to Tuesday. The iPhone 16 series, which had already seen price drops after the 2024 "Double 11" shopping festival, is once again in the spotlight for bigger price discounts.

During the event, customers using eligible payment methods to purchase select Apple products can save up to 800 yuan ($110), according to the notification released on Thursday on Apple China's official website.

The promotion covers almost the entire range of Apple products, including iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Pencil, with a limit of two purchases per product category per customer, with additional trade-in discounts on offer. 

Specifically, the iPhone models seeing price cuts are primarily the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and the latest iPhone 16 series, released in September. Despite being the newest, the iPhone 16 series saw the most significant price cuts, with the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max available with discounts of up to 500 yuan, according to the company.

The steep price reductions followed the iPhone 16 series' first price cut during the 2024 "Double 11" shopping festival in November. The move marks an acceleration in the price-cut pace by Apple, reflecting a notable shift in the company's sales strategy in the Chinese market, amid increasing competition from local rivals.

In the new sales event, Apple emphasizes that the quantity of products available for this promotion at Apple Store retail locations is limited, and products will be sold on a "first-come, first-serve" basis. Specifically, the iPhone category has a limit of 29,300 units for price discounts, the iPad category has 3,500 units, and the Mac laptop category has 530 units, among others.

The event quickly trended on Chinese social media. Regarding the price cuts, some netizens commented, "The discount looks too small; it's better to buy them on e-commerce platforms," while others expressed a preference for buying at Apple stores.

Some consumers who recently purchased Apple products noted, "I just bought one; I missed out on this discount. Can I get a refund from Apple?"

According to China News Service, Apple's official customer service has responded to refund inquiries, "If you purchased the product within 14 days before this event, you can return it and repurchase it, effectively refunding the price difference."

During the recent Chinese "Double 11" online shopping festival, Apple's iPhone sales saw a double-digit year-on-year decrease. However, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max remained the best-selling models.

The tech giant's latest quarterly financial report ending September showed that apart from its home market in the US, China is Apple's second largest market, contributing nearly 16 percent of its net sales.

Global Times