"Apple" slow sales, help Cook? Apple, which ranks first in the mobile phone industry, actually started a three-day promotional season. Since entering the mainland market in April 2011, it is the first time in 11 years that the latest mobile phone products have been discounted and special promotions for everyone have been offered.
"Refreshing special offers, and summer is very right", Apple China's official website can see the promotion slogan in a prominent position, the content shows: July 29 to August 1, including iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE (third generation), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, Apple Watch SE, Products including AirPods (third generation) and AirPods Pro can enjoy discounts ranging from 150 yuan to 600 yuan.
This covers almost all products of mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, and smart watches on sale, from the latest models to entry-level models, all within the scope of special offers.
No need to "slash" a knife, no need to build a building or form a "team", Apple's minimalist aesthetic is also reflected in the promotion - a reduction. At the same time, the very rare offer is conditional on the original 24 installments of interest-free payment on the official website to be changed to a maximum of 12 interest-free installments in this activity.
Does the rare official promotion mean a decline in the competitiveness of Apple products? And has the smart machine format that has been influenced by Apple's establishment for more than ten years been "aesthetic fatigue"? What kind of changes is brewing in Apple, the "dragon slayer" that once defeated giant Nokia?
Groundbreaking official websites and stores have been reduced
Apple, which is positioned as a high-end product, pays great attention to the brand image from the pricing, and has always shown people with no discounts and no promotions.
In general, Apple has fewer adjustments and concessions for product pricing. Pricing for a certain generation of products will be maintained until the release of the new generation of the product. Although Apple has participated in discount activities in online e-commerce channels, it still does not offer special offers in the form of discounts on the official website or offline stores.
Generally speaking, Apple's more conventional preferential activities are long-standing "education offers", selecting specific users, and there is a special discount threshold. That is, students or educators with educational preferential qualifications can purchase the specified products with a discount of about 9-9.5%, and a series of value-added services have been discounted. If you purchase a designated product from mid-July to late September every year, you can also give away AirPods (second-generation) headphones for free.
This time for everyone, directly in Apple's official website, stores to give preferential treatment, is the first time.
The best-selling products are still available at special offers
According to Strategy Analytics, smartphone sales were 14 million units during this year's 618 event, while iPhone sales remained stable, with nearly 7 million units sold during this period, and Apple's revenue share was the top of the list across all major merchant platforms. According to Data From Point Research, Apple's iPhone 13 continued to be the world's best-selling smartphone in April. Apple accounted for 62% of the high-end smartphone market in the first quarter of 2022.
According to a recent report by Canalys, global smartphone shipments fell 9% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2022, but Apple gained 17% market share, up 3% year-on-year. However, according to the latest data released by market research agency Canalys, in the second quarter of 2022, global smartphone shipments fell by 9% year-on-year. Under the influence of economic turmoil and regional uncertainties, market demand began to shrink.
Canalys research analysts said that smartphone manufacturers were forced to review their development strategies in the second quarter, and sluggish demand and inventory backlogs made manufacturers quickly adjust their product portfolios in the second half of 2022. Consumer budgets are tightening, and some demand will shift to low-end products, while the oversupply of mid-range products will be the focus of manufacturers to adjust the price range of product releases.
As far as the above data is concerned, Apple's iPhone products still maintain vitality in the market, so in less than two months from Apple's 2022 autumn new product launch, why did Apple suddenly release this promotion? The possible explanation is that in the third quarter of the two major promotion periods of 618 and Double Eleven, in order to continue to seize higher market share and stimulate the consumption weakness period before the release of new products, Apple further launched this activity on the basis of the existing education offers, covering all consumers to ensure the third quarter data, and creating a unique Apple promotion season in the summer between the two promotions.
The "landlord's house" has no surplus grain?
In response to this activity, many netizens said that Apple is still not sincere enough, such as 24 periods of interest-free has been adjusted to 12 periods, although the total price has decreased, but the repayment amount of each month has actually increased. In addition, the number of special offers that can participate in the event is limited, the number of iPhone products is 22,000, the number of Apple Watch products is 1,700, and the number of AirPods products is 3,000, while stocks last. For those who really need it, it is very likely that they may not be able to grab the product they like.
Netizens have also speculated about the purpose of this offer, such as their speculation that the next generation of iPhones that may be launched will not have too much innovation, so they may take this opportunity to "sell" the iPhone 13, and the iPhone 14 will immediately remove the previous generation of products after the release.
Of course, more netizens still said in a playful tone, "This offer is no different from the Maserati five-dollar coupon", and the price is too high is still an obstacle for many netizens to choose Apple.
Previously, "why young people are reluctant to change mobile phones" has frequently become a hot topic of discussion on major platforms. According to data released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, in February this year, the domestic market mobile phone shipments were 14.864 million units, down 31.7% year-on-year. Apple started from the iPhone 11, the "squeeze toothpaste" technology update made many "fruit powder" difficult to accept, and fruit powder has "switched camps" and said that it is no longer looking forward to the new generation of iPhones. After years of iteration, the technology of the mobile phone industry has become more mature, and the ability to innovate has also declined. In addition, when the budget is tight, changing to an expensive electronic product is not cost-effective for people.
"One more thing", Steve Jobs used this classic line to usher in an era that belonged to Apple.
When the smartphone was just budding, Apple fought steadily step by step, until the fourth generation of iPhone 4 became famous, gradually knocking Nokia off the altar and leading the trend of global smartphones. Years later, Apple is still at the forefront of the smartphone industry, but today, when the "electronic weakness" first appears, whether Apple can hold the throne and continue to bring new surprises to consumers is the test of the times for Apple.
What innovation will Apple bring to consumers? Or is the next "Dragon Slayer" brand ready to go?
Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter Zhang Yue intern Chen Chenyu