As rumored earlier in the week, prominent Chinese retailers have cut the price of iPhone XR, and other models, as Apple faces demand weakness in the region.
Leading resellers JD.com and Suning have cut the sales price of iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and XR this week by about 20%. Apple has not changed pricing on its website.
JD.com has lowered the price of the iPhone 8 to 3999 yuan, which is about 20% lower than what the phone sells for on Apple’s own website.
The iPhone XR is being sold for 5399 yuan on the Suning website, a reduction of about 17% from its normal 6499 yuan retail price. 5399 yuan is equivalent to about 787 USD.
It is believed that the price drop was made in coordination with Apple’s company strategy. Apple is set to announce a significant iPhone revenue decline later this month, with macroeconomic weakness in China cited as the primary cause.
Substantial iPhone discounting is rare, and particularly so in January when the flagship models are still relatively new and there is a dearth of national holidays. The Chinese New Year is a major shopping event in China, but that season doesn’t kickoff until early February.
