In a brazen attempt to cling to its dwindling market share, Jobs’ Mob, known for its exorbitant pricing, has stooped to slashing prices on its Tmall site in China.

Job’s Mob is offering desperate discounts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318 or approximately €292 ) on select iPhone models. This fire sale comes as Apple scrambles to maintain its footing in the high-end smartphone arena, facing stiff competition from local tech titan Huawei.

From May 20 - 28, Apple's price cuts are far more drastic than the paltry discounts offered back in February. While the previous campaign saw a maximum discount of 1,150 yuan, Apple has now doubled down, offering up to 2,300 yuan off.

The most significant markdown is on the 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max, suggesting that even Apple's top-tier gadgets aren't immune to the market's cold shoulder.

Apple fanboys who had been told for ages that they were getting something special for their yuan and it could not possibly be reduced or Jobs’ Mob would lose money were shocked as the base price of the new 128 GB iPhone 15 model saw a discount of 1,400 yuan, hinting at Apple's struggle to lure customers.

Huawei's recent launch of its Pura 70 series, hot on the heels of its Mate 60 debut last August, has turned up the heat on Jobs’ Mob.

The American company's February discounts seemed to have temporarily staunched the bleeding, with a 12 per cent uptick in China shipments in March, a stark contrast to the 37 per cent nosedive in sales during the first two months of 2024.

Yet, one can't help but wonder if Apple's latest discount debacle is too little, too late in the face of relentless competition.

Sadly, it seems that this does not apply to the rest of the world, where Apple will stick to its inflated prices because its fanboys will pay whatever the company demands even if the Chinese are a lot more sensible.