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Apple still leads high-end smartphone sales in China, but Huawei and Honor are catching up

  • Apple in the first quarter shipped nearly 4 million fewer iPhones than a year ago in China, putting it behind Honor and Huawei, according to IDC
  • Apple is still No 1 in China’s premium segment, which consists of handsets priced over US$600, but it is losing market share to Honor and Huawei

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Outside an Apple store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Reuters
Che Panin Beijing

Apple’s dominance in China’s high-end smartphone market is being challenged by local rivals, including US-sanctioned Huawei Technologies, according to new data from industry consultancy IDC.

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While smartphone shipments in China rose 6.5 per cent to 69.3 million devices in the first quarter, Apple shipped 10.8 million iPhones, down from 14.7 million in the fourth quarter last year, IDC data showed.

The US tech giant, which was the top smartphone vendor in the last quarter of 2023, saw its market share in the past quarter fall to 15.6 per cent from 17.8 per cent a year earlier. It lagged Chinese manufacturers Honor and Huawei, which grabbed 17.1 per cent and 17 per cent of the market, respectively.

The IDC data is in line with findings published earlier this week by another research firm, Counterpoint, which also showed Apple’s market share shrinking, although Counterpoint placed Vivo and Honor in second and third place, respectively.
Customers listen to staff introducing Huawei’s new smartphones at the brand’s flagship store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Reuters
Customers listen to staff introducing Huawei’s new smartphones at the brand’s flagship store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Reuters

“Apple faces increasing competition despite its strategy to prop up sales by cutting prices,” said Antonio Wang, vice-president of IDC China.

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