Due to a weakening Chinese economy and tension between the far eastern region and the U.S., iPhones sales have taken a hit and affected Apple’s smartphone business revenue. In the next few weeks, a lot of OEMs, including Apple’s rivals Huawei and Samsung, are expected to release their flagship devices and if the latest rumor is to be believed, Apple is reportedly planning to launch a red variant of the iPhone XS and XS Max in China. It’s worth noting that the relatively cheaper iPhone XR already comes in a red color, which is why you’re not hearing rumors of a ‘China Red’ iPhone XR.
As per the rumor, some factory workers caught wind of Apple’s plans to release red versions of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max coming around next month. For those that don’t know, it’s worth mentioning that the rumor states the new color models would probably not be sold under the PRODUCT(RED) branding that is usually associated with the color red by the Cupertino giant.
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Apple previously launched the (PRODUCT)RED versions of its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus back in April 2018, a release next month would not be in accordance with the timeline usually followed by the company. Red is not merely a new color option and is reflective of Apple’s partnership with the (RED) Global Fund. An unspecified proportion of revenue that comes from the sale of red colored devices goes to the HIV/AIDS charity.
Apple states that regardless of the branding, the sale of every red edition of the iPhones makes a contribution towards the charity. We’d recommend treating this rumor with a pinch of salt, but we’d also like to mention that due to tanking sales in the Chinese market, an available option for Apple would be to introduce a new color option. If you remember, third-party retailers increased their iPhone sales by up to 70 percent after an iPhone XS price cut was introduced in China.
Similarly, the ‘China Red’ variant could be an answer from Apple to its Chinese rivals, as companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, and others are slated to launch their 2019 flagships soon. Assuming the rumor is true, we’ll have to see how meaningful of an impact a simple change as a new color makes in the market.
Source: Weibo
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