Apple participates in China's national subsidy initiative as the prices of the iPhone 16 series decrease.

      Credit: Apple

      The iPhone 16 Pro has garnered significant attention after becoming part of China’s national consumer subsidy program for the first time. With the combined official and governmental subsidy, the 128GB model is now priced at just RMB 5,499 ($770), reflecting a price drop of RMB 2,500 ($350) from its original price of RMB 7,999 ($1,120). Why this is important: Launched on January 20, China’s digital device subsidy program stipulates that products must be priced below RMB 6,000 ($770) and offers a 15% subsidy up to RMB 500 ($70). This marks Apple’s initial involvement in China’s national subsidy program, coinciding with a decrease in its market share in China during the first quarter.

      Details: On April 11, Apple notified its retailers of a price adjustment, lowering prices for all storage options of the iPhone 16 series in China. Due to the restrictions of the national subsidy program, the subsidy is applicable only to the iPhone 16 Pro 128GB version. Other storage options (256GB and higher) are excluded from the subsidy and remain priced between RMB 6,899 ($970) and RMB 10,899 ($1,530).

      Both online retailers and physical Apple stores are implementing the new price reductions. The prices for all iPhone 16 series models have decreased by RMB 1,000 to 1,500 ($140 to $210).

      An Apple store employee informed Technode that the company has not disclosed the duration of the price cuts. Technode spoke to a consumer who expressed concern that 128GB might be insufficient for her needs, particularly with photos and demanding applications. She mentioned that she is inclined to choose a higher-capacity model while the discounts are in effect.

      Context: As per IDC data released last month, smartphone shipments in China reached 71.6 million units in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 3.3% year-on-year increase. The report noted that Apple was the only major brand to experience a decline in smartphone shipments in China during the first quarter. Apple ranked fifth with 9.8 million units shipped, a decrease of 9% from the previous year, likely due to many of its models not qualifying for the national subsidy program.

      The leading smartphone brands in China for that quarter included Xiaomi (13.3 million units, up 39.9%), Huawei (12.9 million units, up 10%), Oppo (11.2 million units, up 3.3%), and Vivo (10.3 million units, up 2.3%).

      Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, focusing on consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. You can connect with her via email: [email protected].