BUSINESS

Pinduoduo Undercuts Apple on iPhone 18 Pro Ahead of China Debut

Published: Sep. 16, 2026 2:51 a.m. GMT+8

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The Apple retail store at MixC Shenzhen on September 13, 2026. Photo: VCG

Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo is offering Apple Inc.’s newly unveiled iPhone 18 Pro at a 900-yuan ($134) discount, undercutting the official price even before the device reaches stores.

The pricing move underscores how major online retailers in China use high-profile product launches to draw traffic, despite Apple’s traditionally tight control over distribution and retail pricing.

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Pinduoduo sells iPhone 18 Pro at 9,099 yuan, 900 yuan below Apple's official price, but requires activation on delivery with no returns (Apple allows 14-day returns).
Strong initial demand persists: JD.com sold out first batch in under a minute (over 7 million reservations); Taobao first-hour sales doubled the iPhone 17 Pro launch.
Apple shares rose 5.6% after launch (Sept 9-14); no standard iPhone 18 was released, and the first foldable iPhone Duo was announced.

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Who’s Who

Pinduoduo: Pinduoduo is offering Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro at a 900-yuan discount, pricing it at 9,099 yuan, below the official 9,999 yuan. The deal combines a 300-yuan platform subsidy and a 600-yuan coupon. The phones are authentic, sold via third-party merchants in its Duo Duo Select program, with no returns after activation. Similar discounts occurred with iPhone 16 and 17 launches.

Apple Inc.: Based on the article, Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone 18 series, including the Pro, Pro Max, and its first foldable phone, iPhone Duo. Despite Pinduoduo offering a 900-yuan discount on the iPhone 18 Pro, demand was strong, with first-hour sales on Taobao doubling last year's. Apple shares rose 5.6% following the launch event.

Alibaba Group: In the article, Alibaba Group's Taobao platform maintained official pricing for Apple's iPhone 18 Pro, in contrast to Pinduoduo's discounted offer. Prices on Taobao remained consistent with Apple's suggested retail prices, reflecting Alibaba's adherence to standard market pricing during the product launch period. Taobao also reported strong initial demand, with first-hour sales doubling those of the previous model's launch.

JD.com: JD.com kept iPhone 18 Pro pricing in line with Apple's official price, unlike Pinduoduo's discount. However, JD.com reported strong demand: the first batch of iPhone 18 Pro units sold out in under a minute, following over 7 million pre-sale reservations. It remains a major Apple retail partner in China.

AI generated, for reference only