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Apple's iPhone 15 already being discounted on Chinese e-commerce sites in run up to Double 11 sales festival

  • The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were selling at steep discounts to their official retail prices on Alibaba’s Taobao platform
  • Sales of the iPhone 15 series have been weaker than its predecessor in China, according to market consultancy Counterpoint Research

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Apple’s iPhone 15 is being discounted on Chinese web sites. Photo: Reuters
Ben Jiangin Beijing

Apple’s new iPhone 15 series is already subject to steep discounts on Chinese e-commerce websites in the run up to this year’s Double 11 online sales extravaganza, with the iconic smartphone up against stiff competition from Huawei Technologies’ Mate 60 Pro 5G handset.

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The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were selling at around 800 yuan (US$109) and 900 yuan cheaper, respectively, than their official retail prices on Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao platform.

Meanwhile, on PDD Holdings’ Pinduoduo, the basic 128-gigabyte iPhone 15 was being sold at 5,198 yuan – 801 yuan less than its retail price – according to checks by the South China Morning Post on Monday.

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Apple, which usually exerts tight control over the retail pricing of its products, Pinduoduo and Alibaba did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The discounts come in the build up to China’s Double 11 Global Sales Festival – also known as Singles’ Day – which falls on November 11 each year, during which domestic e-commerce giants will compete to offer the “best price guarantees” to woo Chinese consumers amid economic headwinds.
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