Apple’s iPhone sales in China dropped 19.1% year-over-year in quarter one of 2024, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.
Overall, the country’s smartphone sales were up 1.5% year-over-year and 4.6% quarter-to-quarter in the first quarter, adds the research group. Counterpoint says China’s smartphone market is expected to see single digit growth this year.
“vivo gained the top spot this quarter with 17.4% share driven by strong sales of the Y35 Plus and Y36 models in the low-end segment and the S18 in the mid-end segment. HONOR ranked second with a 16.1% share, followed by Apple with a 15.7% share,” says Counterpoint Senior Research Analyst Ivan Lam. “ Apple’s sales were subdued during the quarter as Huawei’s comeback has directly impacted Apple in the premium segment. Besides, the replacement demand for Apple has been slightly subdued compared to previous years.”
Looking forward, Lam saw the possibility of an iPhone recovery: “We are seeing slow but steady improvement from week to week, so momentum could be shifting. For the second quarter, the possibility of new color options combined with aggressive sales initiatives could bring the brand back into positive territory; and of course, we are waiting to see what its AI features will offer come WWDC in June. That has the potential to move the needle significantly longer term.”
