Apple Responds to Huawei Threat by Slashing iPhone 15 Prices in China

[dba415]

When strangleholds like imessage don't exist, true quality wins out. iPhones have been inferior for years and that's why they are experiencing the competition make up ground.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

So what they’re saying is, these iPhones could be cheaper from the start..? Seems like some inflated prices from the start.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Past success isn't currency for future success. That way of thinking is dangerous and kills companies.

There are signs... some massive investors in Apple are ever so slowly divesting themselves.

I don't buy it. What signs

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

So what they’re saying is, these iPhones could be cheaper from the start..? Seems like some inflated prices from the start.

Because prior to this article ,this was a knowledge you had not ?

 

[sw1tcher]

You're 100% right.
They're raising the prices because they never made money, and also they learned that they can earn more if you pay and watch ads. So they raise the prices even higher on the ad-free versions to compensate for the lack of ad revenue.

I've read somewhere (can't remember and can't prove it, take with a grain of salt) that they earn more with lower tiers with ads than with the higher ones.

Maybe it was something I posted about multiple times. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Le0M]

Not sure why some collected data is wrong, but I got my iPhone 15 regular last year and paid around 4000 rmb for it, just like (according to the article) today's price.

 

[rafark]

Apple can't copy themselves...
View attachment 2380416

I don’t have an android but wdym? Cameras have always been placed on the corners, even before the iPhone existed. Those phones look nothing like an iPhone.

 

[coolfactor]

Apple is going to have to have a major redesign every year to compete in China. There is a clear trend of Apple’s devices struggling in China for years with minimal design changes.

That logic is flawed when it's Apple's designs that are being copied by Huawei.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Hopefully this is just the beginning of Apple realising that it cannot continue to ramp up prices with mediocre upgrades alongside laughable base specs and increasingly damaging competition. I think iOS 18 (with all the joys of AI Siri - oooh!) and a minimal iPhone upgrade after another year that has been financially difficult for many will drive the message home further.

Incidentally, I completely get the fact that we can't expect amazing upgrades every year - I don't expect that. The problem is that Apple still counts on people wanting to upgrade every year, and on them being able to afford that.

I think Apple is more than aware of that, but Huawei hasn’t been a serious competitor in the space and price bracket for a long time thanks to US sanctions. Apple getting squeezed isn’t surprising at all since Huawei had the second largest market share worldwide before.

 

[webkit]

When Apple cuts prices you know they are in trouble

Apple has cut prices in the past, including on the iPhone.

 

[webkit]

Good. I don't understand why iPhone should cost more in China where they manufacture than in US.

Manufacturing is only part of Apple's iPhone cost/overhead. Besides, iPhones were already cheaper in China than the U.S. even before the latest discount.

The original (non-discount) price for a 128GB iPhone 15 was RMB 5,999 with VAT/fees. Excluding VAT/fees, the price is actually RMB 5302. Based on the current exchange rate, RMB 5,302 in U.S. dollars is around $733. The pre-sales tax price for the same phone in the U.S. is $829 or nearly $100 USD more. Again, iPhones in China were already cheaper even before the latest discounts.

 

[Lcohen34]

Maybe don’t release the same product over and over and over again…

Maybe don't BUY the same product over and over and over again...

 

[falainber]

We need Huawei phones in US. Now!

 

[.wojtek]

So... it shows how overpriced iPhones are

Maybe don't BUY the same product over and over and over again...

I don't... but it was apple and their fans that absolutely HAD to get new iPhone every year... and in the first years there indeed were important improvements. Nowadays, the innovation is kinda stale 🤷‍♂️

 

[NeutraLNinja]

Apple can't copy themselves...
View attachment 2380416

I honestly don't understand what point you are trying to make? That Huawei's camera bump looks really different?

 

[incidentallycheckout]

I honestly don't understand what point you are trying to make? That Huawei's camera bump looks really different?

I was confused also. I see no similarities here.

 

[CrysisDeu]

For people that are into the whole "ecosystem" thing.. Huawei does some amazing stuff... They make Apple and Samsung look archaic.

Xiaomi is getting closer, though they do cripple hammer certain things about Android for whatever reasons.

When Jim Farley came in as CEO at Ford, one of the first things he said is that Ford isn't competing with Toyota, GM... whatever.. they were competing with Chinese automakers. You poke at Chinese companies and it just seems to motivate them.....

I think you should add some concrete examples. Ppl here don’t know what the amazing stuffs are

 

[CrysisDeu]

Apple has nothing to worry about; even Huawei’s CEO uses an iPhone.

Apple’s executive team need to use Huawei products to see how behind they are

 

[CrysisDeu]

Isn’t that called anti-dumping?. Kind of a dirty move when you sell cheaper than in your own market?.
I feel betrayed because Apple never gives discounts in my country!.
iPhones have stopped innovating since forever, who wants and old-new phone when in that market with real competitors you v an find much more advanced phones?

A valid point, and real example of double standard

 

[@Brett]

Hopefully this is just the beginning of Apple realising that it cannot continue to ramp up prices with mediocre upgrades alongside laughable base specs and increasingly damaging competition. I think iOS 18 (with all the joys of AI Siri - oooh!) and a minimal iPhone upgrade after another year that has been financially difficult for many will drive the message home further.

Incidentally, I completely get the fact that we can't expect amazing upgrades every year - I don't expect that. The problem is that Apple still counts on people wanting to upgrade every year, and on them being able to afford that.

Every OEM counts on people wanting to upgrade every year. Also every OEM pretty much releases the same stuff but with spec bumps or different colors. Also might add there are some pricier Android phones out there not worth the money.

 

[techfreak23]

Vote with your wallet and prices go down as long as it isn't just a handful of people doing it. It has always been that way and always will be.

Streaming companies will learn the same eventually.

That will be easy enough. I’m not upgrading again until they release another deep purple. I used to be one of those that upgraded every year since the 5s, only skipping the XS and 13 Pro, but it’s become less and less of a jump year to year.

 

[UK-MacAddict]

Every single person I know outside of internet fan forums is thoroughly disillusioned with Apple. I see this sort of panic discounting becoming a wider trend as more people start to step away from the credit card. In my estimation if Apple doesn't rehire some decent designers and stop treating lifetime customers like cash machines then the goose is cooked. Too big to fail? More like the bigger they are the harder they fall.

Hopefully they take a big tanking in the next few years and finally sort themselves out. How many managers can you have in one product team? Those keynotes are ridiculous now with like 3 managers for the iPad team, head of this head of that. Steve Jobs used to be the head of all products.

 

[AlexJaye]

For people that are into the whole "ecosystem" thing.. Huawei does some amazing stuff... They make Apple and Samsung look archaic.

Xiaomi is getting closer, though they do cripple hammer certain things about Android for whatever reasons.

When Jim Farley came in as CEO at Ford, one of the first things he said is that Ford isn't competing with Toyota, GM... whatever.. they were competing with Chinese automakers. You poke at Chinese companies and it just seems to motivate them.....

Ahh, Chinese companies, spyware via the CCP, slave labor, cheap crap and knockoffs, no thanks.

 

[Mousse]

Also might add there are some pricier Android phones out there not worth the money.

Aye. Samsung are all a hard pass for me now. If they allow us to unlock the bootloader again, I might change my tune. Nice hardware, but hamstrung software and bloat. Gawd, the bloat.

Midrange Chinese smartphone with unlockable bootloader are the only phones I look at anymore. With a custom AOSP android, plus firewalls I have a pretty secure phone. It's the best bang for your buck, the most rubble for your ruble.

 

[macfacts]

...
Apple literally denied this in the last quarter report and said iPhone sales have increased in mainland China.

So why did apple admit sales in China were down by paying this lawsuit from shareholders?

Apple reaches $490 million settlement over CEO Cook's China sales comments

Apple agreed to pay $490 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged Chief Executive Tim Cook defrauded shareholders by concealing falling demand for iPhones in China.

www.reuters.com