Apple starts to sell used products in China

US tech giant Apple said today it had started selling discounted second-hand products in China to court more customers.

The used products, offered on Apple's Chinese online store, include iPod shuffle music players at 308 yuan each and iMac personal computers priced at more than 14,000 yuan.

Apple, whose products are more expensive than its PC rivals, is struggling to gain a foothold in China.

Last year, its iPod line had a 4.3 per cent share of mainland China's portable media player market, according to Beijing-based consultant CCID Consulting.

Apple does not release China-specific sales figures, but its share of China's booming personal computer market is estimated to be well below one per cent, according to analysts.

The used products, which have a one-year limited warranty, were returned to Apple by customers and went through strict quality tests before being put on the shelves again, according to a statement on the website.

The company started to offer second-hand products in China in December, Huang Yuna, a Beijing-based spokeswoman told AFP.

Apple has been selling refurbished products as special deals in countries such as the US and Britain for years.