(Yicai) March 1 -- Vendors on China’s main e-commerce sites have slashed the price of US tech giant Apple’s latest iPhone 15 by up to CNY1,000 (USD139) in an attempt to spur sales as competition intensifies.

JD.com, Tmall and Pinduoduo merchants are offering discounts on at least four of Apple’s new handsets, including the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, in an online shopping gala being held in the run up to International Women’s Day on March 8, according to Yicai research.

Since the iPhone 15's launch in September last year, many e-commerce platforms have offered discounts during a number of shopping galas. But the degree of the latest price cut has exceeded market expectations.

And the gap between the retail price of the iPhone 15 series and Apple’s official price continues to widen. The basic model of the iPhone 15 is now selling for as much as CNY1,400 (USD195) less than on the Apple Store and even the best-selling iPhone 15 Pro Max has had its price cut by over CNY1,000.

In the past, Apple rarely allowed its retail partners in China to lower the price of its phones, market insiders told Yicai. But in view of the fierce competition that the iPhone is currently facing in China, the Cupertino-based company will likely relax control on the prices offered by third-party dealers.

iPhone sales in China have passed their peak, said Zhu Jiatao, senior analyst at market research firm Canalys. The company may be reluctant to lower the price of its high-end Pro models, but the basic versions are encountering stiff competition as the Android phones launched by local competitors become more advanced and are available at a much cheaper price.

Apple has not released any strong innovative products in recent years so this year the company needs to feature new applications or advanced technologies that can stimulate demand in order to reinvigorate the iPhone business, Canalys wrote in a report released earlier this year.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor