![\"Consumers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2b7a067d-c984-4429-a933-675a9d011139.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Consumers line up to pick up the latest iPhone 17 series ordered online at the Apple\u2019s store in Sanlitun, downtown Beijing, on September 19, 2025. Market observers say the iPhone 17 series could give a crucial boost to Apple\u2019s market share and shipments in China amid intensifying competition with its domestic rivals. Photo: VCG<\/p>\n
Apple and Huawei have launched major discounts on flagship smartphones in China ahead of the annual 618 shopping festival, in a sign that competition in the country\u2019s premium handset market is heating up as leading domestic and overseas brands move to capture replacement demand.<\/p>\n
Starting on Friday, Apple cut prices for its iPhone 17 Pro series by 1,000 yuan ($138), according to prices displayed on major Chinese e-commerce platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
JD.com, one of China\u2019s largest online retailers, showed on its Apple product self-operated flagship store that, after direct discounts and trade-in subsidies, some iPhone 17 Pro models could be purchased for as low as 6,999 yuan, the lowest level since the series was launched.<\/p>\n
The standard iPhone 17, Apple\u2019s latest base-model flagship phone, also received its first notable price cut since release, with some versions priced at 4,499 yuan after multiple subsidies and trade-in offers.<\/p>\n
Taobao, Alibaba\u2019s e-commerce platform, showed on its official Apple Store flagship shop that the iPhone 17 Pro series would be offered with a direct 1,000-yuan discount from the same day.<\/p>\n
A store employee at an Apple outlet in Beijing confirmed to the Global Times on Friday that the latest discounts could be combined with trade-in subsidies and platform promotions, with some models reaching their lowest prices since launch.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome customers do wait for the May discount season, especially with 618 shopping festival approaching. For those planning to upgrade, this is a relatively good buying window,\u201d the employee said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
News of Apple\u2019s price cuts quickly shot to the top of Sina Weibo\u2019s trending list on Friday, carrying the platform\u2019s \u201cexplosive\u201d tag. In one highly liked comment, a user said the discount stood out at a time when many consumer electronics products are becoming more expensive.<\/p>\n
Huawei has also moved to lower prices for its high-end foldable models. According to Huawei Device, the Mate X7 series has been cut by 1,000 yuan across the board, starting from 11,999 yuan after the discount, while the Mate X6 series has seen reductions of up to 3,000 yuan. Both models are available with interest-free installment plans of up to 12 months.<\/p>\n
The price cuts came as China\u2019s 618 shopping festival \u2013 originally launched by JD.com and now one of the country\u2019s largest mid-year online retail events \u2013 enters its warm-up period, with major platforms and consumer electronics brands ramping up subsidies, trade-in programs and limited-time offers.<\/p>\n
Liu Dingding, a technology industry analyst, told the Global Times on Friday that the simultaneous discounts by Apple and Huawei point to a sharper contest at the top end of China\u2019s smartphone market.<\/p>\n
\u201cApple and Huawei are the two companies most closely benchmarked against each other in the high-end segment,\u201d Liu said. \u201cOther brands still hold market share, but in terms of premium-market influence, the rivalry is increasingly centered on these two players.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liu said both companies are using this year\u2019s shopping festival window not merely for routine promotion, but to quickly lift orders and shipments while competing for a larger share of replacement demand.<\/p>\n