In an effort to protect its market share from growing competition from domestic rivals like Huawei, Apple is implementing exclusive discounts of up to 500 yuan ($68.50) on its most recent iPhone models in China.

On its website, it states that a number of iPhone models are eligible for the four-day promotion, which runs from January 4–7, when purchased with particular payment methods.

There will be the biggest discount of 500 yuan on the premium iPhone 16 Pro, which has a beginning price of 7,999 yuan, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which has a starting price of 9,999 yuan. The price of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will drop by 400 yuan.

With China’s economy weakening and deflationary pressures causing consumer inflation to fall to a five-month low in November, the discounts come as consumers continue to exercise caution when making purchases.

China is the largest smartphone market in the world, and local manufacturers have stepped up their competitiveness, which has caused Apple to lose market share.

With domestically produced chipsets, Huawei returned to the premium market in August 2023 and has since been a particularly formidable rival. Over the weekend, one of China’s top e-commerce sites saw Huawei reduce the cost of a number of high-end gadgets, including smartphones, by up to 3,000 yuan.

Before making a comeback in the third quarter of 2024, Apple momentarily dropped out of the top five smartphone vendors in China in the second quarter. In China, the U.S. company’s smartphone sales fell 0.3% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, while Huawei’s sales increased 42%, according to research firm IDC.

Along with other product categories like MacBook computers and iPad tablets, the Apple campaign offers discounts of 200 to 300 yuan on older iPhone models. Customers who wish to receive the discounts must utilize approved payment methods, such as Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Information technology and artificial intelligence experts predict that many Pakistani firms will undergo significant change by 2025.

By 2025, AI and IT solutions will be used more widely, according to IT specialist Professor Muhammad Ataullah, who sees them as important contributors to the nation’s development. The leader said, “These technologies will serve as crucial elements in advancing the country’s progress.”

Students now see IT and AI training as crucial to their academic careers and have acknowledged its significance. They are of the opinion that advancements in technology will significantly enhance classroom instruction and student performance.

Experts in the sector emphasize the critical need for improved internet infrastructure in order to fully realize the benefits of technological advancement by 2025. They emphasize how crucial improved connectivity services are to enabling such technology’s broad adoption.

Several industries in Pakistan have recognized information technology (IT) as a primary growth area, illustrating the increasing trend of technological integration across all sectors. The role of technology in supporting both overall economic growth and breakthroughs within certain sectors is becoming clearer, and this adjustment reflects that.

Experts predict that artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT) solutions will become increasingly important in the day-to-day operations of educational institutions, enterprises, and government organizations by 2025.

Although technology transition will open up new possibilities, it will also create new challenges that will require infrastructure development and strategic planning to overcome.

According to sources, Pakistan is enhancing landline internet speeds significantly as new cables are being installed today.

Through the new cable system, Pakistan will be able to join a global internet network that spans 45,000 kilometers. By connecting to 46 cable landing sites across Europe, Africa, and Asia, it will greatly improve internet performance and connection.

Pakistan is a participant in Facebook Meta’s “Africa-2” cable project, which includes the initiative. By 2025, the cable is expected to be completely operational, enabling customers to access better internet speeds and manage traffic loads.

According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which has verified the Africa-2 cable’s connection, customers can anticipate receiving ultra-fast internet speeds beginning in 2025. Pakistan’s digital revolution and worldwide internet connectivity are expected to reach a significant turning point with this breakthrough.