Apple too stubborn with iPhone pricing in emerging markets says the founder of Oppo and Vivo

Duan Yongping, the founder of a couple of China-based smartphone manufacturers (Oppo and Vivo) said during an interview with Bloomberg that the iPhone is losing steam in China because Apple won't change its pricing to suit the China market. Mr. Duan points out that the non-installment price of the Apple iPhone 7 in China is equivalent to $780 USD, which is one month's paycheck for some. Even the lower priced Apple iPhone SE can cost as much as the equivalent of $476 USD in China.

Apple had a rough 2016 in China as it is no longer one of the top three smartphone manufacturers in the country. Huawei was on top followed by Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi. Apple dropped to fifth place. Duan says that Apple's iPhone business in China suffers from Apple's continued stubbornness. According to the smartphone veteran, Apple continues to seek high profit margins even if that costs them business in countries such as China and India.


Apple has already set its sites on India, although the average Indian earns the equivalent of $3.10 a day. While the Apple iPhone 5s is the most popular model in the country, Apple is hoping that its recent launch of a 32GB Apple iPhone 6 in emerging markets becomes the new top seller in the region.

source: AppleInsider