Chinese Retailers Slashing iPhone 11 Prices to Entice Reluctant Customers

Multiple third-party resellers in China are offering discounts on the iPhone 11 lineup this week, with savings up to an equivalent of $227 off a high-end iPhone 11 Pro Max, according to the South China Morning Post.

On JD.com, the 64GB version of the basic iPhone 11 now costs 4,999 yuan (US$708), 500 yuan (US$70) cheaper than the original price. The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro has an even steeper price cut that shaves off 1,200 yuan (US$170). And the top-tier iPhone 11 Pro Max is selling for a whopping 1,600 yuan (US$227) off.

The savings are likely passed on by Apple in an attempt to bolster demand during a time when consumer confidence and spending is lower, although the company declined to comment on whether it had authorized the price cuts and iPhone 11 prices on Apple's Chinese website have not been reduced.

Chinese resellers offered similar discounts on iPhone XS and iPhone XR models in early 2019, shortly after Apple lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year due to fewer iPhone upgrades than it had anticipated, particularly in the Greater China region.