Analysts expect iPhone price cuts in China as Apple seeks to revive sales
- Authorised retail partners in China, including JD.com, have already started offering discounts for the latest iPhone models
Apple is expected to pursue iPhone price cuts in China and other markets, as the US technology giant suffered a decline in sales of its flagship product in the quarter ended December, according to analysts.
Most of that decline was attributed by Apple to its Greater China business and other emerging markets, where a stronger US dollar amplified the price of iPhones in local currency terms.
While Apple has not announced specific iPhone price adjustments in China, IHS Markit senior analyst Zaker Li said the US company has already pushed that process forward through its authorised retail partners in the world’s second largest economy.
Li said these authorised distributors, including e-commerce provider JD.com and various traditional bricks-and-mortar electronics retailers, started offering in late December cash coupons of up to 20 per cent off the retail price of iPhones sold in the country.
“The price reduction in China may not be too significant because iPhones are positioned at the high-end of the domestic smartphone market,” Li said. “Still, these price cuts could stimulate sales to a certain extent.”