[News] Subsidies Spark Surge: iPhone 16 Pro Reportedly Tops China’s Sales Charts Last Week

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro has grabbed major attention after joining China’s national consumer subsidy program for the first time, as highlighted by technode. Now, a CNA report suggests that riding this wave and the 618 shopping festival, the model has soared to the top of smartphone sales in China.

According to CNA, China’s Week 20 (May 12–18) smartphone rankings saw Apple dominate with three of the top five spots: iPhone 16 Pro in first, iPhone 16 Pro Max second, and iPhone 16 fourth. Huawei’s nova 13 took third place, followed by REDMI Turbo 4 Pro in fifth, the report adds.

A recent report from Phone Arena report revealed that over 520,000 iPhone 16 Pro and 320,000 iPhone 16 Pro Max units were activated in China within a week, boosting iPhone’s market share to over 21.5% during that period.

As per CNA, the iPhone 16 Pro 128GB model, originally priced at RMB 7,999 (about NT$33,275), can be snapped up for just RMB 5,499 after national subsidies and 618 shopping festival vouchers—an impressive 31% discount.

Despite the hype, the iPhone 16 series got off to a slow start in China last year. CNA, citing Caixin, reports Apple ranked third in Q4 2024 smartphone sales with just a 16.6% market share, behind Huawei and Xiaomi. The report points to limited appeal and tough competition from local brands as the main reasons.

Apple is stepping up efforts to boost iPhone sales in China. On May 23, it raised trade-in values—iPhone 15 Pro Max offers jumped to 5,700 yuan ($791) from 5,625 yuan, and iPhone 15 Pro rose to 4,750 yuan from 4,725 yuan, CNBC reports.

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(Photo credit: Apple)