Apple’s troubles in China mount as foreign phone sales plunge

Apple is hoping its iPhone 16 series will help it regain dominance in China as the company battles other foreign phone brands in the country.

While the California company promised a host of new artificial intelligence (AI)  features via its Apple Intelligence software, it is not yet available in China due to complex regulations around AI in the country.

Apple’s woes

Apple’s woes come after sales of foreign phone brands in the world’s second-largest economy plunged by 47.4% in November from a year earlier and a 51% drop from October last year. Underscoring further pressure on Apple.

Calculations based on the data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed that foreign brand shipments decreased to 3.04 million units from 5.769 million units a year earlier.

Apple iPhones account for the majority of foreign mobile phone shipments in China, with competitors like Samsung forming only a tiny part of the smartphone market.

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Stiff competition

The Cupertino company is facing stiff competition in the world’s largest smartphone market as it battles rising competition from domestic brands.

It’s no surprise that Huawei with its innovative products, like the trifold smartphone, has gained popularity in the Chinese market after tough regulations in the United States hit the tech giant.

Huawei’s growth far outstripped Apple in the third quarter of last year, according to the latest data from research firm IDC.

Smartphone brands

Some of the top smartphone makers in China include Vivo, which reclaimed the top spot with 19% of the market, Oppo maintains second place with 11.3 million units, while Honor smartphones came in third with 10.7 million shipped, according to CNBC.

Huawei grabbed the fourth spot with 15% of the market, and Apple languished in fifth place.

In a bid to spur interest in the iPhone 16, Apple began discounts for the device as part of a Lunar New Year holiday promotion.

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