iPhone 11 Popularity Earns Apple Double-Digit Growth in China

Apple saw a significant jump in smartphone shipments in China last month thanks in part to the popularity of the iPhone 11, according to Bloomberg.

iphone 11 and 11 pro no background

The iPhone maker’s shipments in China grew 18.7% year on year in December to roughly 3.18 million units, according to Bloomberg calculations based on government data on overall and Android device shipments. The increase marked an acceleration from the prior months, which were buoyed by the iPhone 11’s release in September. The numbers come from the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology, a government think tank.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro brought significant improvements in battery life and camera quality over previous models, and have been well received by consumers and critics in China.

Apple's business last year in the country was strengthened in other ways, too. The company benefited from a sales tax cut that allowed it to decrease the price of its products, while investors took comfort in what Apple CEO Tim Cook called a "much better tone" in the China-U.S. trade relationship.

Looking ahead, the double-digit growth in shipments bodes well for Apple in the buildup to the Chinese New Year, which falls in late January this year.

However, the company still has some work to do if it is to put a significant dent in the market share of local vendors led by Huawei, which gained a dominant position domestically last year, despite its struggles abroad.

Tag: China
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

Sunday January 12, 2025 4:11 pm PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models this year, and now he has provided a more precise timeframe. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is currently aiming to launch the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year." That timeframe suggests the devices will be released at some point...
AppleEventLogoFeature

Apple Focusing on These Eight New Low-Cost Devices in 2025

Saturday January 11, 2025 1:00 am PST by
Apple's slate of 2025 products look to be dominated by a large number of low-cost and entry-level devices. Here's what to expect. With advancements like Apple Intelligence and all-new in-house chip designs, Apple is reportedly looking to enhance many of its budget-friendly offerings, ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market. These updates also indicate a slight...
se 4 for 2025

When to Expect the iPhone SE 4 or So-Called 'iPhone 16E' to Launch

Friday January 10, 2025 9:20 am PST by
Apple is widely rumored to be planning a new iPhone SE, and multiple sources lately have commented on the device's launch timing. The latest word comes from Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a blog post today, he said the device will be released around the middle of the first half of 2025. In other words, around the quarter mark of 2025. That means the next iPhone SE will likely be ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal 1

iPhone 17 Pro Main Camera Sensor 'Smaller' Than iPhone 16 Pro Sensor

Friday January 10, 2025 3:14 am PST by
This year's iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a smaller main camera sensor than the one used in the Fusion camera currently found in iPhone 16 Pro models, according to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The Chinese leaker claims that Apple will adopt a 1/1.3" sensor for the 48MP main camera in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, down from the 1/1.28" sensor used in the iPhone 16...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
airpods pro 2 botw

Hearing a Mysterious Chime From Your AirPods Pro Case? It's a Feature

Thursday January 9, 2025 3:42 pm PST by
If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with the launch of Hearing Health last year. In a support guide, Apple says that the AirPods Pro may play a sound every so often while in the case to ensure the microphones and speakers are working as intended. From Apple: To help ensure that your AirPods...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...

Top Rated Comments

djcerla Avatar
66 months ago

The growth is related only to the shipment. Not impressive!
Yeah they probably shipped more just to burn them for warmth. It’s a cold winter in China.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justanotherfanboy Avatar
66 months ago

The growth is related only to the shipment. Not impressive!
https://www.coursehero.com/file/11855122/Apple-JIT/

Educate yourself!!! =)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Harmonious Zen Avatar
66 months ago

Double digit could be anything from 10% to 99%. It’s amusing to state factual accurate information.
The article specifically states 18%...

While Chinese people probably prefer their own phones, much of the reason these days is because the budget phones are SO good that there’s really no reason for most people to splurge for an iPhone, especially considering people in China live in WeChat. Restrict Huawei and Oppo to only making >$600 phones and then see how much people like homegrown phones. :)

And on top of all that Apple is not trying to go budget anyway. They’re always going to primarily shoot to occupy the premium segment. These days they’re also trying to reach a little bit lower, but they’ll never compete with 3-400 dollar Huawei or Oppo phones, nor should they.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
riverrun46 Avatar
66 months ago

Good for Apple, but the Communist Party of China’s will always prefer its own vendors. Hard for me to envision a particularly large “dent.”
Huawei grew like 50% in China market this year, mostly because of its extremely successful marketing strategy instead of political reasons. Not only Apple, other China vendors like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo also suffered from a painful decline this year, like 30% or even more. They were desperately seeking growth overseas because of Huawei's domestic dominance.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
66 months ago
It's good to see the Chinese people recognise that iPhone 11 Pro is the best smartphone on the market. Apple deserves this success.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sundog925 Avatar
66 months ago
I can see this.

I used to poo-poo the XR before I bought an 11, (mostly because I thought I would miss TouchID) and wow, blown away at how I just love the phone.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)