According to Counterpoint Research’s report, Apple’s iPhone sales in China fell 24% in the first six weeks of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The American technology giant faces stiff competition, including from local brands Huawei increased its sales by 64% in the domestic market.
Apple and Huawei did not comment on the report, which suggests Overall smartphone sales in China fell 7% in the same period. China is one of Apple’s most important markets.representing approximately 15% of total turnover.
Also read – Huawei could overtake Apple and become the world’s largest company in 2024
Huawei is back from the dead in China
One of the main reasons for Apple’s decline is the resurgence of Huawei, which has circumvented US sanctions that have hobbled its business for years. Huawei surprised the industry in August by launching its Mate 60 series 5G smartphones, which do not use any American technology.
Apple’s other rivals such as Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo have also lost market share in China because they were “caught in the middle” due to Huawei’s high-end products and Apple’s aggressive pricing, according to Counterpoint Research’s Mengmeng Zhang. Apple even offered discounts and subsidies on its official sites and Alibaba’s Tmall platform to boost its sales in China.
However, these efforts It wasn’t enough to prevent Apple from losing its position as the second largest smartphone manufacturer in China to Huawei. Apple’s market share in China increased From 19% to 15.7% last yearHuawei’s increased from 9.4% to 16.5%. Vivo remains the best-selling brand in China, although its sales fell 15% compared to last year. We can give an example of the new ban imposed by Chinese authorities on purchasing smartphones from the Apple brand.
