People walk past an iPhone 16 Pro advertisement in an Apple store in Chongqing, China, during National Day on October 3, 2024.
Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images
apple China rejoined the country’s top five smartphone makers in the third quarter thanks to the launch of the iPhone 16, but its growth still lagged domestic rival Huawei, data released on Friday showed.
According to data from International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple ranked second in market share in the third quarter. During the same period, the technology giant’s market share in China was 15.6%, down from 16.1% in the third quarter of last year. The company’s third-quarter shipments to China grew at a flat annual rate. Apple’s market share in the third quarter ranked second.
According to IDC data, Huawei ranks third behind Apple with a market share of 15.3%. However, the company’s smartphone shipments in China increased 42% year-on-year, continuing to recover in the world’s largest smartphone market.
Apple and Huawei have been locked in a fierce competition ever since the Chinese tech giant launched new products. Last year’s Mate 60 smartphone packed a surprisingly advanced chip. Huawei has been hit by U.S. sanctions over the past few years, restricting its access to advanced semiconductors and software. Measures include crippled its smartphone business.
The Mate 60 revitalized Huawei in the domestic market, and the company has since launched a number of new devices, including the so-called “Huawei Mate 60.” 3-fold mobile phone, Mate XT.
Huawei’s resurgence has put tremendous pressure on Apple in China, one of its largest and most important markets. second quarter, Apple is knocked out of the top five in China’s market share rankings.
IDC said in the report: “Huawei has made a comeback, achieving at least double-digit growth for four consecutive quarters. The launch of the world’s first three-fold mobile phone is expected to further promote the development of the foldable market.”
The Cupertino giant is hoping the iPhone 16 series will help it make a comeback in China, with the company promising a host of new AI software features Apple Smart. The company has said that Apple Intelligence will be launched in the United States this fall, but there is no clear timetable as to when it will be launched in China, mainly Due to the complexity of domestic regulation,.
In the absence of Apple intelligence, Chinese rivals Including OPPOHuawei and Honor have Touting one’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China this week and met with senior Chinese government officials and technology company executives. One analyst told CNBC This may be an effort to strengthen partnerships with Chinese companies for the launch of Apple Intelligence.
IDC said that domestic competitor Vivo ranked first with an 18.6% market share in China in the third quarter, and its shipments increased by 21.5% compared with the same period last year. Xiaomi and Honor ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Another data released by Canalys on Friday showed that Apple’s China shipments fell by 6% in the third quarter. Canalys said Apple ranks fifth in terms of market share in China. At the same time, the data company ranked Huawei second in terms of market share, with an annual increase of 24% in the third quarter of this year.
