Apple Drops to Sixth Place in China's Smartphone Market

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For the first time in years, Apple has fallen out of the top five smartphone vendors in China, ranking sixth in the second quarter of 2024.

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Data from Canalys, a market research firm, shows that Apple's iPhone shipments in China declined by 6.7% year-on-year. This drop has been attributed to fierce competition from domestic brands such as Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Honor, and Xiaomi. Huawei, in particular, has seen a resurgence in the high-end smartphone market, fueled by advanced chips produced entirely in China.

Canalys reported that the overall Chinese smartphone market experienced a 10% year-on-year growth in the second quarter of 2024, with shipments exceeding 70 million units. Vivo reclaimed the number one spot by shipping 13.1 million units, capturing a 19% market share. Oppo followed with 11.3 million units, Honor with 10.7 million units, and Huawei with 10.6 million units. Xiaomi re-entered the top five with a 17% year-on-year increase, shipping 10 million units. In contrast, Apple's shipments dropped to 9.7 million units, representing a 14% market share.

The increased competition and market dynamics in China have posed significant challenges for Apple. The company's market share decreased from 16% in the previous year to 14%, pushing it from third to sixth place. Despite promotional efforts, including significant discounts of up to 23%, Apple has struggled to maintain its market position. The competitive landscape has been further complicated by the overall growth of local vendors, which have benefited from their localized supply chains and strong brand loyalty among Chinese consumers.

Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams recently visited China, meeting with officials in Beijing and Shenzhen to reinforce Apple's commitment to the Chinese market. Canalys analyst Lucas Zhong emphasized the importance of the company localizing Apple Intelligence for China within the next year to regain market share. The anticipated release of the iPhone 16 lineup later this year is also expected to drive demand and potentially improve Apple's market position.

Tags: Canalys, China

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Top Rated Comments

d5aqoëp Avatar
d5aqoëp
15 months ago
The real reason is Apple is behind in most aspects in Smartphone market.

1. Poor displays (Dull colours and glare issues) People don't care about XDR and fancy terms.
2. Poor Battery life
3. Slow charging speed
4. No easy way to transfer downloaded random files from iPhone to PC/Mac
5. Basic [S]cheap[/S] non-Pro models artificially limited to 60hz while $250 androids are pushing 120hz
6. Brand fatigue
7. Patriotism and feeling amongst Chinese that USA = Bad
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
coffeemilktea
15 months ago
I know people like to say that the reason the iPhone isn't doing as well in China is due to politics, but I think it's more that Chinese phone manufacturers are trying all sorts of new and interesting things and pushing the boundaries of mobile technology...

...and meanwhile, Apple is set to release the iPhone 12SSSS this year. :p
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smittywerben Avatar
Smittywerben
15 months ago
It's not hard to see why, Pro models (the only ones that even worth considering this days) are usually way more expensive than their original $1200 price tag in China, and $800 base model still has 3000mah battery and 60hz display which is laughable compared to even $200 low end phones.
Not sure how iPhone 16 is supposed to change any of that. it's literally going to be the same phone, same 60hz display, same 3000ish battery, no telephoto, and most likely Apple intelligence will not be available in China anytime soon.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
icanhazmac
15 months ago

7. Patriotism and feeling amongst Chinese that USA = Bad
This should have been #1


#7 is a big one, at least according to the Chinese students/interns I occasionally work with. Samsung is doing even worse than Apple, at 1%, because they aren't a Chinese company.

A lot of Chinese are very patriotic and want products from Chinese-owned companies.
This!

The Chinese are allowed or "encouraged" to have national pride and are not called racist or xenophobic for doing so.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jetson Avatar
Jetson
15 months ago
I suspect that Chinese people are not blind to the fact that there is a bright white line at the bottom of the iPhone screen.

That "home bar" is annoying. It obscures text beneath it. That white line shows up in screenshots. It interferes with gaming. It's a sign of Apple arrogance because despite years of complaints they won't respond to customers by fixing it.

No other phone has this artifact on the screen. And you can't turn it off.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjudson Avatar
jjudson
15 months ago
Even Apple fans like myself in the US are experiencing Apple fatigue. I've recently found myself many times wondering about alternative options for both tablets and phones. I never experienced those thoughts a few years ago.

Something seems stale and tired with Apple these days...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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