Apple Falls to Third Place in China's Smartphone Market Amid Sales Decline - MacRumors
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Apple Falls to Third Place in China's Smartphone Market Amid Sales Decline

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Apple has experienced a significant decline in iPhone sales in China, dropping from the leading position to third place in the country's smartphone market during the fourth quarter of 2024.

iphone 16 lineup
According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, iPhone shipments in China fell by 18.2% year-on-year in the final quarter of 2024. This decline resulted in a 17.1% market share for the company, placing it behind Huawei and Xiaomi, which captured 18.1% and 17.2% of the market, respectively. The fall comes just a year after Apple held the top position in the market with a 19% share. This is apparently the first time since the U.S. ban on Huawei that Apple has been displaced by its Chinese competitor.

Apple's reduced performance in China has been attributed to several factors, including heightened competition from domestic brands and its inability to bring Apple Intelligence to the region. While Apple Intelligence was introduced alongside the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024 in the United States, it has not been made available in China due to regulatory constraints. The company is believed to be partnering with Chinese companies to deliver the features at a later date. Huawei's strong growth in the fourth quarter—up 15.5% year-on-year—has been largely credited to AI features in its flagship Mate 70 devices and the mid-range Nova 13 series.

It is also of note that China's smartphone market experienced a 3.2% year-on-year decline in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking the only quarter of the year with negative growth. Despite these obstacles, Apple maintained its position as the third-largest smartphone brand in China for the quarter, and its sales were closely matched with Xiaomi, which recorded a 17.2% market share.

Tags: China, Counterpoint

Top Rated Comments

Expos of 1969 Avatar
Expos of 1969
16 months ago
Selling boring products, no surprise.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
GeoStructural
16 months ago

Selling boring products, no surprise.
Exactly. People will always bring up the iPhone’s high price, but guess what, other manufacturers have flagships too, around the same price point and they are selling well.

The iPhone feels less and less exciting every year, they cannot compete with software either, iOS keeps coming short in stability and features.

In a recent trip to Europe I could see I was among the minority owning an iPhone. When exchanging contact information with colleagues very few pulled out an Apple device, and this is by choice, these are people who can afford it.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AnthonyAnt Avatar
AnthonyAnt
16 months ago
I'm going to be honest right now. I have owned every iPhone since iPhone 3G, so that's 2008? 2009? The iPhone peaked around the iPhone 13 Pro Max (it worked so well, no major hardware or software issues, and the phone actually worked). I currently have the iPhone 16 Pro Max and it's the most lackluster iPhone upgrade I have ever had. Let alone the constant weekly software issues that Apple just does not seem to be fixing or getting a handle on.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
Octavius8
16 months ago
That’s what too much self pride gets you!
Check the latest Huawei phones: they feel “new”. iPhones are basically the same year after year, just tiny camera changes. Nothing feels new.
Even the famous iPhone battery duration is a little poor for the price comparatively.
Shame Huawei was blocked because it caused the smartphone market to stall several years.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
Kissmo1980
16 months ago
Good.
Maybe these things will wake them up, and make them remember how they used to take risks and bring high quality and innovation.

They are still great in my eyes, I love their products and have many, but somehow they seem to have stagnated after their M series innovation.
Others are catching up fast.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
Abazigal
16 months ago
How quickly people forget.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-sales-in-china-dropped-significantly-in-q1-2024.2424731/

Reported by the same company some more.

Followed by Apple going on to refute the report during their quarterly earnings.

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/05/02/apple-2q-2024-earnings/


2:06 pm: Now going over ‌iPhone‌ revenue, $46 billion, down 10% year over year, but notes growth in mainland China and that the iPhone 15 ('https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-15/') and 15 Pro Max were the best-selling smartphones in Urban China.
You think users would have caught on by now, but I suppose the siren's call of getting to bash Apple at every opportunity is just too tempting to pass up. 🙃

But I guess we will know in another week or so.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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