iPhone Sales Recover in China Amid Surge in Smartphone Demand

Apple's iPhone sales in China surged by 52% in April, reflecting a significant rebound driven by aggressive price cuts and renewed consumer demand, Bloomberg reports.

iphone 15 series store
The surge in shipments from 2.3 million units in April 2023 to 3.5 million units in April 2024, revealed in data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), follows a series of strategic price reductions from Apple aimed at boosting sales in the region. The ‌iPhone‌'s recovery in China is part of a broader resurgence in the smartphone market, which saw overall sales rise by 25.5% to 22.7 million units in April. The CAICT data revealed that ‌iPhone‌ sales contributed significantly to this growth.

This change comes after a challenging start to the year for Apple in China, where the company experienced a 37% slump in sales during the first two months of 2024. The recovery began in March with a 12% increase in shipments, continuing into April.

Apple's comeback strategy in China involved substantial discounts on iPhones, with price cuts reaching up to 2,300 yuan (approximately $318) on its official Tmall site. These discounts, which are double those initially offered in February, were part of an aggressive campaign to compete with local companies like Huawei.

Bloomberg noted that Apple's market share in China may soon stabilize, as consumer interest in upgrading to new ‌iPhone‌ is increasing. A recent survey indicated that more than half of Chinese consumers are willing to spend over 4,000 yuan (approximately $550) on their next phone, a significant rise from the 33% who currently use premium handsets. This trend toward "premiumization" is expected to benefit Apple just four months away from the debut of the iPhone 16 lineup.

Tag: China

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red Green

The 30+ Best Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 6:46 am PST by
Black Friday is just a few hours away, and as always this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

peneaux Avatar
20 months ago
Who would’ve guessed demand would increase if you give a huge discount?

Now Timmy, start giving us 16GB RAM for our laptops.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sevendaymelee Avatar
20 months ago
I just don't understand how people aren't bored with smartphones, yet. When I got my first, back in 2011, it was an iphone 4s, and it absolutely blew my mind. I loved it and used it all the time for just about everything.

But that was thirteen years ago, and my current phone is still basically the same thing. It's a slab of glass. It has apps. It makes calls, sends texts, plays the same types of games--it's just a thing now, like utilities or a t-shirt. So when I still see people mindlessly obsessed with their phones, I'm always like... how?

It boggles my mind.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Retskrad Avatar
20 months ago
The popularity of smartphones continue to amaze me. It’s a device made for procrastination. Social media, YouTube, Netflix - literally everything unproductive is readily available in your pocket wherever you go and it takes no effort to waste meaningful time of your life day, in and day out. Here’s the kicker: we give smartphones companies thousands of dollars, sometimes yearly, to help us erode away our time. Are we that careless about out precious time on earth, time that we’ll never get back?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scorpio vega Avatar
20 months ago

Now give us in Japan price cuts on current models gesh!
You guys would need to stop buying iPhones in order to get massive price cuts
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blw777 Avatar
20 months ago
Why would the entire industry in China rebound by a massive 25%?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JapanApple Avatar
20 months ago
Now give us in Japan price cuts on current models gesh!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)