Several Chinese mobile phone brands have lowered their prices, coupled with subsidies for online purchases of new phones, leading to a situation where offline and online prices are reversed. Some retailers have mentioned that they no longer sell new phones offline. This news became a hot topic on May 19.
In a video released on May 18 on Blue Media Video’s official Weibo account under Zhejiang Radio and Television Group, a man stated, “New phones are basically not sold offline anymore.” For example, the iPhone 17 is priced at 5600 yuan in physical stores, while it is only 4499 yuan online, a difference of over 1000 yuan. “They (Apple) must be making money by selling at a lower price; they can’t be selling at a loss.”
It was reported on Weibo that the man is the owner of a business in Hangzhou.
Recently, Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi have significantly reduced the prices of their phones, with Apple only supporting online sales after the price cuts.
According to news from Sina Focus, not only Apple phones but other major brands have been releasing channel prices and promotions online frequently to clear inventory or meet sales targets, making it difficult for offline stores that offer minimal discounts to attract customers. Moreover, most phone consumers compare prices on review websites before buying, leading them to purchase from wherever it is cheapest, turning physical stores into free experience sites for many customers.
Based on information from mainland Chinese websites, the smartphone brands that have lowered prices this time mainly include Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi.
In particular, the iPhone 17 Pro series officially reduced prices by 1000 yuan, and combined with trade-in deals on e-commerce platforms, the total discount can reach 2000 yuan, resulting in a price as low as 6999 yuan, the first time the iPhone 17 Pro has been priced below 6000 yuan. The iPhone 17, after multiple subsidies, is priced at 4499 yuan. In the Huawei Mate X series of foldable phones, the Mate X7 dropped by 1000 yuan to a starting price of 11,999 yuan; the Mate X6 dropped by 3000 yuan to a starting price of 9999 yuan. Xiaomi 15 Ultra saw an official price reduction of 1500 yuan, with a starting price of 4999 yuan, and with additional subsidies from e-commerce platforms, the 256GB version can be purchased for just over 4300 yuan.
Analysts believe that the main reason for this round of price cuts is the 3% to 4% year-on-year drop in Chinese smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year, prompting brands to focus on price adjustments in exchange for market share.