Apple offers iPhone 15 at rare discount in China as competition intensifies

HONG KONG, Jan 15 (Reuters): Apple is offering rare discounts on its iPhones in China, cutting retail prices by as much as 500 yuan ($70) amid growing competitive pressure in the world's biggest smartphone market.

The US tech giant cut prices of some iPhones by 5 per cent, its Chinese website showed on Monday. The time-limited promotion, branded as a Lunar New Year event, will last from Jan. 18 through Jan. 21 in a lead-up to the holiday in mid-February.

Sales of Apple's latest iPhone 15 series of handsets have been far worse than previous models in China.

Home-grown rivals such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi offer competitive models, while sources have said some companies and government departments have been limiting staffers' use of Apple devices - mirroring US government restrictions of Chinese apps on security grounds.