Apple announced a rare retail promotion in China on Monday, offering four days of discounts on its top-tier iPhones and related accessories in advance of the launch of its next-generation devices.
The company, usually reluctant to alter pricing, will take up
to CNY 600 off the price of its top-line iPhone 13 Pro series between July 29
and Aug. 1, according to a notice on its website. To be eligible, buyers have
to use one of a select number of payment platforms, such as Ant Group's Alipay.
Certain AirPods and Apple Watch models are also part of the promotion.
The discounts come as China's economy tries to bounce back
from major Covid-19 lockdowns in business hubs Shanghai and Beijing, which have
hurt sales of leading domestic smartphone brands from Xiaomi to Vivo and Oppo.
Apple bucked the trend by registering healthy growth in China shipments in
June, according to national statistics, though the discounts suggest even it
has surplus inventory heading into the latter half of the year.
Apple has traditionally kept iPhone prices unchanged between
generations, though this year's economic upheaval has already pushed it to one
unusual move: raising prices in Japan in response to the drastically weakened
yen.
The company offers several payment options in China,
including installment plans and lower pricing for students. But it has
refrained from discounting its flagship products in the country for years.