In China, Apple's iPhone 5c Is Already Selling For A Discounted Price
by Joe White
September 27, 2013
Chinese retailers are already selling Apple's iPhone 5c at discounted rates, according to a recent report.
The news comes from Caijing, which explains that Tmall (天猫), the nation's largest business-to-consumer (B2C) retailer, has reduced the price of Apple's 16GB iPhone 5c by 789 yuan - around $129.
As of this writing, the online retailer appears to have 45 iPhone 5c smartphones in stock, indicating that unlike Apple's iPhone 5s, supply of the colorful iPhone 5c is indeed plentiful.
The news comes following a recent Localytics survey that claimed the Chinese "dislike the iPhone 5c more than everyone else in the world." According to the research, Apple's iPhone 5s accounted for a huge 91 percent of all iPhones sold in China during the first few days of release, following Sept. 20.
Globally, the report added, the iPhone 5s made up 82 percent of iPhones sold during the period.
Of course, the news will be disappointing for Apple, which made a strong push to sell the handset in China, following months of analysis claiming that the so-called "low-cost" smartphone would do well in the world's most populous nation.
The problem, however, is that Apple's iPhone 5c isn't low-cost at all, and especially not in China. As we originally explained, "iDevice users in China are expected to pay more for the iPhone 5c than U.S. consumers are set to pay for the high-end iPhone 5s," in a bizarre move that can hardly be expected to encourage the Chinese to purchase the entry-level model.
In fact, with Apple's prices starting at 4,488 yuan, the iPhone 5c costs more in China than the average monthly wage.
It's no surprise, then, that retailers such as Tmall are lowering prices in an attempt to sell the iPhone 5c. Apple has, in the past, reduced its iPhone margins in order to encourage sales in developing nations. As such, it'll be interesting to see how the iPhone 5c continues to fare in countries around the world, and if similar measures are taken regarding the Cupertino, Calif. company's entry-level smartphone.
In the meantime, it seems Chinese customers are more than happy with the iPhone 5s. Apple's high-end smartphone sold out in a matter of hours in the country, with the gold-colored model being the most popular by far.
See also: Netflix Expands Apple TV-Compatible Super HD Service To All Members, Is It Safe For Prospective Jailbreakers To Download iOS 7.0.2?, and As Google Search Turns 15, Official iOS App Set To Gain New Major Features.
