Apple said to be considering reducing iPhone XR prices in Japan
Apple is said to be considering reducing the price of the iPhone XR in Japan by offering subsidies to Japanese carriers, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
In what is said to be a move to slow iPhone 8 sales (which are still proving to be very popular in Japan) from overshadowing the iPhone XR, may come into action as soon as next week, with the company supposedly working with carriers in a rare move to reduce the price of its hardware less than a month after its release.
Japan may be acting as a guinea pig for Apple, with the company testing to see how well sales improve with the reduction in price before possibly rolling out new pricing elsewhere. The report from the Wall Street Journal suggests weaker-than-expected demand for iPhone XR may mirror what happened with the iPhone 5c in 2013, where sales picked up the following year.
A price cut within a month of the release is rare not just for Apple but for smartphone makers in general,” said a senior official at a wireless operator, who monitors sales. Analysts say weaker-than-expected demand for iPhone XR may mirror what happened with the iPhone 5c in 2013, where sales picked up the following year. Apple’s higher-priced XS and XS Max models, released a month earlier, appeal more to tech’s early adopters who typically fuel initial sales of new iPhones.