China smartphone market to close 2024 with first annual sales growth in 5 years: report

Domestic smartphone sales rose 2.3 per cent year on year in the September quarter, reinforcing market forecasts of a low single-digit increase in 2024

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Apple’s iPhone 16 series saw more than 70 per cent of domestic sales come from the Pro and Pro Max models as of October 8. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00pm, 29 Oct 2024

China’s smartphone market is on track to record its first annual sales growth in five years, according to Counterpoint Research, which placed Apple out of the top-five domestic rankings in the third quarter.

Sales in the world’s largest smartphone market rose 2.3 per cent year on year in the September quarter, marking four consecutive quarters of growth that reinforce projections of a low single-digit increase in 2024, according to a Counterpoint report on Monday.

Chinese smartphone vendors Vivo, Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi, Honor and Oppo occupied the top-five domestic rankings, as Apple took the No 6 spot with a 13.5 per cent market share last quarter.

That finding runs counter to last week’s report by research firm IDC, which saw Apple back at the No 2 spot in third-quarter domestic smartphone shipment rankings behind Vivo and ahead of Huawei, Xiaomi and Honor. Apple fell out of the top five in the second quarter, according to IDC data.

Vivo continues to lead China’s smartphone market, as domestic sales rebound in 2024. Photo: Shutterstock

Improved domestic consumption is expected to heat up competition among major smartphone vendors this fourth quarter, boosted by Singles’ Day-related promotions and the introduction of artificial intelligence features in the latest 5G handset models.