- Chinese e-commerce sites have reduced the price of Apple's iPhone 16 ahead of a shopping festival.
- Business Insider found iPhones discounted for hundreds of dollars compared to official listings.
- Apple faces declining sales in China as local brands like Xiaomi gain market share.
Chinese e-commerce websites have slashed some Apple iPhone prices by hundreds of dollars ahead of the 618 shopping festival.
The 618 shopping festival, or June 18, typically lasts around two weeks and is the second-largest annual shopping festival in China, which frequently generates more than $100 billion in revenue for its largest e-commerce platforms.
On JD, Business Insider found a white iPhone 16 Pro with 128GB of storage on an interest-free 12-month payment plan listed at 5,380 yuan, or around $745. That is at least a $360 markdown from Apple's official listing price of 7,999 yuan on its mainland China website.
Another 256GB iPhone 16 pro on the same payment plan is selling at 6,220 yuan on JD, down from Apple's official listing price of 8,999 yuan.
On Tmall, by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, BI also saw at least one brand new iPhone 16 for 5,299 yuan, also around $230 down from the Apple official listing price of 6,999 yuan.
On Apple's US official website, a 128GB iPhone 16 Pro would cost $999, while an iPhone 16 with the same amount of storage is listed at $799.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comments and did not clarify whether these discounts in China are part of an official promotion initiated by Apple.
These markdowns follow Apple's struggling sales in China, as cheaper domestic brands gain popularity and shoppers grow thriftier. Apple saw its iPhone shipments down 9% in China in comparison to the first quarter of 2024, and its Q2 sales in China also missed expectations.
However, according to a report by the International Data Corporation, smartphone shipments in China grew 3.3% overall in the first quarter, largely due to local Apple rivals like Xiaomi, which saw a 39.9% increase in shipments in China in the same quarter compared to 2024.
A Xiaomi 15 Pro, one of its latest models with at least 256GB in storage, is listed for 4,999 yuan on its China website, which is less than $700.
Meanwhile, to boost soft consumer spending as China grapples with internal economic issues triggered by a property market crisis, the Chinese government expanded consumer subsidies on smartphones and other tech devices, but only for products priced under 6,000 yuan ($821), leaving many Apple models too expensive to qualify for the discount.
