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Apple cuts iPhone 8 and XR prices in China by 20 percent

Apple iPhone 8 and XR see price cuts of up to 20 percent in China
Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Although Apple has recently asked its suppliers to cut the iPhone production by 10 percent in the second quarter, it looks like the brand's handsets are not doing well in China. In an unprecedented move, Apple authorized mid-cycle price cuts that go as high as 22 percent for the iPhone 8 and 20 percent for the iPhone 8 Plus handsets on JD.com.

The Chinese market is a rather tough nut to crack for Apple, especially when it comes to its high-end handsets. A few days ago, Japanese website Nikkei revealed the production volume for the January - March quarter is expected to be about 10 percent lower than previously scheduled, mainly die to low sales in key markets — mainly in China.

In an unprecedented but not unexpected move, Apple has decided to try boosting iPhone sales in China by authorizing noticeable mid-cycle price drops. On China's second-largest online sales platform, namely JD.com, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are 22 percent and 22 percent cheaper on Apple China's official website. Thanks to these price drops, JD.com customers can acquire the iPhone 8 for CN¥3,999 (~US$592) and CN¥4,799 (roughly US$710).

Suning.com, another big Chinese online retailer, is offering the iPhone XR 128 GB model for CN¥5,799 (~US$860), which is no less than CN¥1,200 less than the official price of CN¥6,999. Although this is not a 20 percent price cut, 17 percent off on an iPhone that was released less than 6 months ago is definitely a good deal. Suning.com customers can also trade in their iPhone 7 Plus for an iPhone XR and pay a difference of CN¥3,500.

This year will probably be a challenging one for the entire industry, but it would not be surprising to see Apple bouncing back in 2020. Until then, the mobile market will be populated with a few foldable handsets, the first 5G smartphones, and more.

What would Apple need to launch next to make you switch from the Android world or upgrade your current iPhone? If you can spare a few minutes to share your thoughts, let us know in the comments below.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2019 01 > Apple cuts iPhone 8 and XR prices in China by 20 percent
Codrut Nistor, 2019-01-14 (Update: 2019-01-14)