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Apple's iPhone sales in China are likely to get a big boost from a government subsidy program that pays buyers to stimulate the economy.

On Tuesday, Apple revealed that consumers are able to take advantage of a government subsidy that applies to a selection of its products. The subsidy covers up to RMB 2,000 ($278) of the cost of a limited number of Apple products.

Under the , first Global Times, customers can buy products from the Apple Store in Shanghai or the Apple Online Store, if they have a delivery address in Beijing.

The subsidy applies to the iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Plus when it comes to smartphones. The iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini are also included, as well as the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE in various varieties.

It also applies to Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Studio.

The terms of the deal means customers can get a subsidy of up to RMB 500 ($70) on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, up to a maximum product value of RMB 6,000 ($836). For eligible Mac models, the subsidy is the maximum RMB 2,000, however upgraded configurations are not eligible.

Once consumers applies and receive the subsidy coupon, it can be applied at checkout.

A big revenue bonus

The subsidy program previously covered home appliances, expanding to digital products such as smartphones in 2025. The intention of the subsidy is to spur on sales of electronics in the country, and it has been successful so far.

China's government said that sales of communications equipment, such as smartphones and tablets, increased 26.2 percent year-on-year.

While the program was launched in January, Apple wasn't taking part, but that has changed with Tuesday's announcement. The government insists that it applied to both domestic and foreign brands from the start.

It is certain that Apple will see increased sales thanks to the government-issued discounts to consumers.

In May, it was reported that iPhone shipments in China were down considerably, with a considerable year-on-year drop of almost 50% in shipments across all non-Chinese smartphone brands. With Apple making up the bulk of this category, this more or less applied directly to Apple's shipments.

During the Q2 2025 financial results, Greater China revenue was relatively flat year-on-year at -2.3%. This despite resellers in China offering steep discounts to consumers, aside from the subsidy.

Apple is currently in the process of trying to catch up with other smartphone brands in the country, in terms of artificial intelligence. With the use of the Alibaba Qwen3 AI model, Apple Intelligence finally has the architecture available that could operate with regulatory approval in the country.