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

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Top Rated Comments

peneaux Avatar
17 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
17 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
17 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
17 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
17 months ago
Why would the entire industry in China rebound by a massive 25%?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JapanApple Avatar
17 months ago
Now give us in Japan price cuts on current models gesh!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)