Apple to Offer Rare Discount on iPhones in China

Ever bought a discounted new phone from Apple? For most people, the answer is no. That’s because Apple doesn’t really do discounts.

But in China, Apple is slashing the price of some of its latest iPhones by $70 amid worries that Chinese consumers have cooled on the brand. That would save a buyer about 6 to 8 percent, based on prices on Apple’s China website. It has also knocked $112 off the price of some MacBook Air laptops. The sale will start on Thursday and run through Sunday.

Cutting prices on high-end electronics to buyers in China is an unexpected move for Apple, one that highlights the challenges the American company faces in China, where patriotic shoppers are choosing domestic brands amid rising US-China tensions.

Apple and its Chinese rival, Huawei, are on the front lines of a battle over technology between Beijing and Washington that has seen both countries restrict access to foreign technology. Long suspicious of Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese government and wary that its technology could be used for spying, American officials have stopped federal agencies from buying equipment from Huawei and tried to discourage other countries as well.

China, for its part, has issued directives to some of its government employees not to use iPhones at work and encouraged domestic brands.

The tit-for-tat is not good for business. Apple has a lot to lose from the surge in tensions between the United States and China, a huge market that accounts for one-fifth of its overall revenue.