Apple and Huawei are entering a discount race ahead of the "618 shopping festival," which begins after China's Labor Day holiday ends.
According to the industry on the 18th, JD.com, China's largest online retailer, said some iPhone 17 Pro models can be purchased for 6,999 yuan (1.54 million won) at its dedicated Apple flagship store. That price applies when discounts and trade-in subsidies are applied to the iPhone 17 Pro. The device has a launch price of 1.79 million won in Korea.
The iPhone 17 has also seen a steep price cut. On JD.com, when combining subsidies and trade-in benefits, some iPhone 17 models can be purchased for 4,499 yuan (990,000 won). The iPhone 17 has a launch price of 1.29 million won in Korea.
Alibaba's e-commerce platform Taobao also announced it has been selling the iPhone 17 Pro series at a 1,000-yuan discount at the official Apple Store flagship since the 15th. On news of Apple's price cuts, Apple climbed into the top ranks of Weibo's trending searches that day with the tag "explosive."
Huawei also cut prices on high-end models ahead of the 618 shopping festival. The Mate X7 series is discounted by 1,000 yuan (220,000 won) across all models, starting at 11,999 yuan, and the Mate X6 series is discounted by up to 3,000 yuan (660,000 won). Huawei is expanding subsidies, trade-in programs, and limited-time discount events across major platforms.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, last year Huawei ranked first with a 16.9% share by shipments, followed by Apple at 16.7%. They were followed by Vivo (16.4%), Xiaomi (15.7%), and Oppo (15.5%). The situation is similar in the first quarter of this year. According to market research firm Omdia, in the first quarter of this year in China's smartphone market, Huawei recorded a 20% share and Apple 19%.
However, Huawei appears to be surging after launching the Pura 90 Pro. SmartChipInsider released performance for week 19 of 2026 (May 4–10) in China's smartphone market, with Huawei ranking first with a 25.55% share. It was followed by the Oppo group (15.83%), Vivo (15.62%), Xiaomi (14.49%), and Apple (13.08%).