Chinese parents splurge on $2,950 'graduation gift sets' for college-bound children

A trend of buying bundled electronics — smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches and earphones all at once — has swept China in the wake of the college entrance exam season, with the packages dubbed "graduation gift sets."

According to Chinese outlet Zhonghua Wang on Sunday, the sets can cost as much as 20,000 yuan ($2,950), or about 4.54 million won ($2,960). Premium configurations run well above that figure. Searches for "graduation gift set" on Chinese social media turn up streams of photos showing students posing outside stores with armfuls of electronics boxes.

Huawei and Apple are the most popular smartphone brands, with prices ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 yuan (about 1.36 million to 1.82 million won). Lenovo, Asus and Dell dominate laptop sales, with models trading between 5,000 and 9,000 yuan (about 1.13 million to 2.04 million won). Chinese outlet Chao News reported June 15 that boys tend to favor high-performance laptops while girls gravitate toward lighter, more portable models.

One parent told Chao News that after the gaokao — China's national college entrance exam — they surprised their child with an iPhone 17 Pro Max, then quickly bought a laptop when they realized the child would need one for an upcoming trip. "They studied hard for three years," the parent said. "I don't want to skimp on this."

Electronics retailers have moved aggressively to capitalize on the moment. Demand at some stores carrying the smartphone brand Oppo surged so sharply right after the gaokao that queues formed outside.

One electronics seller told Zhonghua Wang that most students are less focused on what they actually need than on comparing brands and specs with their peers. "They're mainly preoccupied with keeping up with what their friends have," the seller said.

Zhonghua Wang cautioned that buying expensive electronics bundles simply because a student is entering university should not be treated as a given. "Purchases should be based on need and within one's means," the outlet said.

한때는 100만원이었다…“10만원으로 대폭락” 너무 심했던 국민 황제주의 반전

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