Apple has introduced a rare opportunity for Chinese consumers to enjoy discounts of up to 500 yuan ($68.50) on its latest iPhone models, as the tech giant strives to protect its market position amidst fierce competition from domestic companies like Huawei.

This special promotion, running from January 4 to 7, offers significant savings on several iPhone models when purchased using specific payment methods, as outlined on Apple’s official website.

Among the featured models, the iPhone 16 Pro, priced from 7,999 yuan, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, starting at 9,999 yuan, will benefit from the highest discount of 500 yuan. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will see a price reduction of 400 yuan.

These discounts come at a time when Chinese consumers are being more cautious with their spending, as the country faces economic slowdown and deflationary pressures. In November, China’s consumer inflation dropped to its lowest point in five months, further influencing purchasing decisions.

Apple is also facing challenges in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, where local brands are becoming stronger competitors. Huawei, in particular, has emerged as a formidable rival, returning to the premium market segment in August 2023 with smartphones powered by its own locally-made chipsets. Recently, Huawei cut prices by up to 3,000 yuan on various high-end devices, including smartphones, on leading Chinese e-commerce platforms.

In fact, Apple briefly fell out of China’s top five smartphone vendors in the second quarter of 2024. Although the company regained its position in the third quarter, its sales still saw a slight 0.3% decline compared to the previous year. In contrast, Huawei’s smartphone sales skyrocketed by 42%, according to research from IDC.

Apple’s promotion also extends to older iPhone models, which will see discounts ranging from 200 to 300 yuan. In addition, savings are available on other products like MacBook laptops and iPad tablets. 

To take advantage of these discounts, customers need to make their purchases using selected payment options, including popular platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay. This ensures that the promotional offers are exclusively available to users of these digital payment services, which are widely used in China for everyday transactions.