iPhone 15 prices Fall Significantly Online, Up to Almost 1,000 Yuan Cuts

On October 23rd, #iPhone 15 series prices plummeted#, shooting up to the top of the trending searches. This has left early adopters of Apple‘s new phone feeling unhappy.

At present, the Double 11 promotion is about to begin. Many manufacturers have already started offering significant discounts on their models, indicating an early start to the Double 11 sales. Meanwhile, Apple’s recently released iPhone 15 series models have also experienced significant price fluctuations.

The Apple iPhone 15 series consists of four models, and almost all storage versions are not subject to a premium. Even the popular iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been discounted by nearly a thousand yuan.

Currently, on a certain e-commerce platform, the iPhone 15 is priced at 5198 yuan (approximatly ＄711) for the 128GB version and 6098 yuan (approximatly ＄834) for the 256GB version, while the official prices are 5999 yuan (approximatly ＄821) and 6999 yuan (approximatly ＄958) respectively. The iPhone 15 Plus is priced at 6148 yuan (approximatly ＄841) for the 128GB version and 7048 yuan (approximatly ＄964) for the 256GB version, with official prices of 6999 yuan and 7999 yuan (approximatly ＄1094) respectively. The iPhone Pro comes in a 128GB version priced at 7498 yuan (approximatly ＄1026) and a 256GB version priced at 8048 yuan (approximatly ＄1101); with official prices of 7999 yuan and 8999 yuan (approximatly ＄1231) respectively. As for the iPhone Pro Max, it is available in a 256GB version priced at 9098 yuan (approximatly ＄1245), a 512GB version priced at 10798 yuan (approximatly ＄1477), and 1TB version priced at 13398 yuan (approximatly ＄1833).The official prices are 9999 yuan (approximatly ＄1368), 11999 yuan (approximatly ＄1642), and 13999 yuan (approximatly ＄1915) respectively.

According to Bloomberg News analysts, the sales performance of Apple’s latest iPhone 15 series in China is not ideal. Data from market research institutions shows that the sales volume of the iPhone 15 series during its first 17 days in China decreased by 4.5% compared to the previous generation.

According to Counterpoint data, Apple’s smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2023 declined by 9% compared to the same period last year, with a market share of 16%, down from 17% in the previous year. On the other hand, Honor, Huawei, and Transsion were among the few brands that experienced year-on-year growth in the third quarter. Huawei’s growth was attributed to the launch of its Mate60 series in China, while Honor benefited from strong performance overseas. Transsion continued its expansion and also benefited from market recovery in the Middle East and Africa.

Tim Cook Visited China Twice This Year

On one hand, iPhone 15’s domestic sales are cooling down and being surpassed by Huawei, while on the other hand, Apple CEO Tim Cook is making his second visit to China this year without stopping.

On October 18th, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc., posted a video on his personal Weibo account. The content of the video shows Cook visiting the production line of Apple Watch accompanied by Wang Laichun, Chairman of Luxshare Precision.

And on the 16th, Cook appeared at Apple Chengdu Taikoo Li and even watched a Honor of Kings exhibition match. On the 17th, he visited Ya’an and announced that Apple will donate 25 million yuan to the China Rural Development Foundation to support assisting farmers, empowering students, and revitalizing communities.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and other officials met with Cook.

Some analysis believes that Cook’s intensive visit to China demonstrates the importance of China as a key market for Apple, sending out a signal of goodwill.

Behind Tim Cook’s frequent visits to China, it demonstrates the significant importance of the Chinese market for Apple. Data shows that when Cook took office, the Chinese market accounted for only 2% of Apple’s total revenue. Currently, the Chinese market accounts for over 20% of Apple’s total revenue. In addition, China holds a substantial share of 48% in Apple’s supply chain.

Ping An Securities stated in its research report in June of this year that the recent intensive visits to China by tech giants such as Cook indicate that, against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical risks, the demands of the US high-tech industry for China’s entire supply chain and vast market, as well as China’s indispensable position in the market, have become more prominent. In the short term, this may bring about a temporary opportunity for easing tensions between China and the United States.

It is worth noting that this year, after a four-year hiatus, Tim Cook has once again come to China. However, what kicked off Tim Cook’s 2023 visit to China was the China Development Forum that began in March this year. On March 25th, at the annual conference of the China Development Forum 2023, Tim Cook said, “This year marks Apple’s 30th anniversary in entering China, and I am very pleased to be able to come to China at this time.”

During the dialogue with Lu Mai, a consultant of the China Development Forum and former Vice Chairman of the China Development Research Foundation, at the CDF Talk (China Development Forum Innovation Speech), he said, “We have a huge supplier system in China and our own flagship stores. Seeing Apple’s development in China over the past 30 years, we are very pleased and honored to be able to cooperate with China and serve our customers and consumers. We have grown together with China, which is a symbolic friendly relationship.”

Tim Cook also stated, “The pace of innovation in China is very fast, and I believe it will continue to accelerate in the future. Looking at innovation on a global scale, technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality are developing rapidly, which will have a significant impact on humanity. Therefore, as inventors of technology, we must ensure that the way we use these technologies is correct.”

SEE ALSO: iPhone 15 Saw Sluggish Sales amid Tim Cook’s Swift China Tour

Organization: Huawei’s Sales in China Have Surpassed Apple

On September 13th, Apple launched the new iPhone 15 series and officially started selling them on September 22nd. However, since its release, there have been continuous negative voices in the domestic market regarding the iPhone 15 series. The prices of iPhone 15 and 15 Plus plummeted upon release, the demand for iPhone 15 Pro was lower than the previous generation, and there were reports of screen burn-in issues with iPhone 15 Pro Max…

Prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently wrote that based on the shipment situation of the supply chain, it is estimated that Apple’s MacBook shipments in the fourth quarter of this year will decrease by 25-35% compared to the same period last year. The annual shipments for this year are expected to decline by about 30%, reaching around 17 million units. He stated that due to the absence of new products in the fourth quarter of this year, MacBook’s shipment momentum will be significantly lower than previous peak seasons. The key reason for Apple not launching new products is that they need to clear inventory and develop new products and marketing strategies for 2024.

The most discussed topic is still focused on the sales comparison between Apple and Huawei. Before the release of Apple’s new phone, Huawei’s new phone was launched unexpectedly, triggering a frenzy of queuing and buying, with “far ahead” becoming a popular internet meme.

From the feedback of C-end consumers, many former Apple users have switched to Huawei. Some consumers have told reporters that they originally planned to wait for the release of iPhone 15 Pro, but immediately purchased a Huawei Mate 60 Pro when it came out. The feedback from offline distributors is also similar – the prices of the iPhone 15 series have dropped significantly, and the sales performance of the Pro version is not as optimistic as expected, while Huawei’s problem is “out of stock”.

In contrast, Huawei has shown rapid growth momentum. According to a recent research report by CITIC Securities, Huawei is the fastest-growing manufacturer since September. After the release of the Mate60 series under the “Pioneer Program” on August 29th, Huawei’s smartphone sales have experienced rapid growth with year-on-year growth rates of 91%, 46%, 83%, and 95% in the past four weeks (W37-W40). The market share of Huawei smartphones has also increased from around 10% before the launch of the Mate60 series to 19.4% in W40, ranking first in the market.

Ming-Chi Kuo stated on social media that the shipment plan for Huawei Mate60 Pro in the second half of the year has been increased by about 20% to 5.5-6 million units, and the cumulative shipment volume after 12 months of release will reach at least 12 million units.

According to a report from Securities Times on the 18th, Wang Peng, Deputy Researcher at Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, stated in an interview with reporters: “During this year’s National Day holiday period, there has been a rebound in mobile phone consumption, largely driven by Huawei’s comeback. Huawei has faced constraints over the past year but has regained attention and consumer desire for purchases by launching new products and implementing promotional strategies.”