• Apple is offering a rare discount on its iPhone range in China amid reports of poor sales.
• Customers will be able to get $70 off the iPhone 15. 
• Apple faces a headache in China thanks to competition from Huawei and growing government pressure.

Apple is offering rare a discount on the latest generation of iPhones in China as reports suggest that the tech giant’s flagship smartphone is suffering from poor sales in China.

The Silicon Valley heavyweight announced that it would offer a discount of up to 500 yuan ($70) on its iPhone 15 range.

The discount is set to run from January 18 to 21, in anticipation of the Chinese Lunar New Year. And it’s an unusual move from Apple, given the company rarely offers discounts.

It comes as Apple faces gathering storm clouds in China — thanks in large part to reports of disappointing sales of its latest iPhone.

According to data from Jefferies, the iPhone 15 has seen a 30% year-on-year decline in sales compared to its predecessor. Jefferies has also forecasted that Apple would likely see a double-digit drop in volumes in 2024.

Apple is facing growing local competition in the form of Huawei’s wildly successful Mate 60 Pro smartphone, which sold 1.6 million handsets in six weeks after launching last year, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research.

Some commentators on social media also previously criticized the iPhone 15 for its high price point.

“Other than Apple’s software, everything else is worse. Their prices are so much higher. Now, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo are just as good, if not better than Apple,” one person wrote on Weibo.

The temporary discount covers Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max as well as older models dating back to the iPhone 13. Discounts are also being offered on Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, and AirPods.

Apple’s ‘symbiotic’ relationship with China is under strain

Apple is also under increasing pressure from the Chinese government, which is cracking down on US firms amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

China recently banned some government officials from using iPhones at work, and officials have questioned the security of Apple’s devices as part of a wider campaign against Western tech.

Apple has also been forced to comply with punishing new rules that restrict what apps can launch on China’s version of the app store.

The tech company has long faced questions over its “symbiotic” relationship with the Asian superpower, with CEO Tim Cook making multiple visits to China last year.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, made outside normal working hours.