China’s new subsidy program offers a 15% discount on smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches priced under 6,000 yuan (around US$818), capped at 500 yuan (around US$68) per purchase, to stimulate consumer spending.

While customers are eligible for both domestic and foreign brands, most of Apple’s latest iPhone 16 series are excluded as their prices exceed the 6,000 yuan threshold.

It exempts for base models like the iPhone 16 128GB priced at 5,999 yuan (around US$818), and older iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 models.

The program benefits leading Chinese manufacturers such as Vivo, Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo, which lead China’s smartphone market.