Consumers in the world's largest smartphone market are actually turning their backs on the iPhone 16 in favor of Huawei's new product.
On the day of the iPhone 16 launch in China, September 20, records showed that iPhone 16 purchasing power had dropped significantly compared to last year, with evidence that speculators were no longer making much profit after lining up to own the device early.
Chinese speculators do not dare to buy iPhone 16 Pro for fear of "unsold".
Near the Apple store on East Nanjing Road (Shanghai), there are at least 5 speculators selling iPhone 16. One person shared: "This year is a bit difficult to sell. Gold is a new color so it can be sold, but the price only increased by 400 yuan (1.4 million VND) for the 256 GB version at best, while the 1 TB version is not sold."
Moreover, speculators only dare to invest in the iPhone 16 Pro Max version and refuse to buy the iPhone 16 Pro. One speculator said that buying the Pro version will not sell, causing the price to drop in the afternoon, so it is better not to invest.
Relevant experts believe that the halo of the iPhone in the Chinese market is fading, one reason is that Apple has not been able to innovate for many years. The other reason is the rapid development of domestic mobile phones, especially the high-end phone segment from Huawei .
“Huawei’s tri-fold Mate XT also went on sale today. At a glance, it’s clear which one is more appealing. Apple really isn’t being innovative enough at the moment,” the expert said.
Huawei Mate XT sold out within seconds of going on sale.
Speaking of the Huawei Mate XT, the appeal of this phone was demonstrated when it was sold out in just a few dozen seconds after it went on sale on September 20, even though it was limited to China. At the delivery ceremony of this tri-fold smartphone, President Yu Chengdong once again explained the advantages of this phone to everyone in the CCTV news room.
He said the reason for buying the tri-fold Mate XT is from a user experience perspective, because choosing the Mate XT is “really putting a mobile phone and a tablet in your pocket, and putting a camera in your pocket.” He also promised to give 500 yuan (US$75) and other privileges to early buyers.
While the Huawei Mate XT is out of stock, causing speculators to sell it for three times the announced price of $2,800 (68.8 million VND) on the electronics market, dealers are having to discount the iPhone 16 to attract Chinese customers. It is clear that Apple is failing, at least in its extremely important market.