Overview
- Apple announced the iPhone Duo and set China preorders to begin Oct. 16 at 20:00 with sales from Oct. 23 and pricing starting at ¥15,999.
- Apple posted estimated repair costs for the Duo, including an inner‑screen repair at ¥7,998, and an AppleCare+ two‑year plan priced at ¥2,599 that cuts covered repair fees to ¥0–628.
- JD initially sold a ¥7,999 ‘early‑bird’ rights package for PLUS members that promised purchase priority, subsidies and accessories such as a ¥999 case and ¥329 charger but applied only to 256GB and 512GB models.
- Customers complained that the package appeared non‑refundable and could not offset the full phone price, prompting JD to pull the listing and then relist it with a 24‑hour refund option for unused rights.
- The episode highlights growing consumer sensitivity in China to strict preorder terms, the importance of repair and insurance costs for expensive flagship phones, and the likelihood of tighter scrutiny of retailer preorder mechanics before peak sales events.