Shipments of foreign-branded cellphones in China, which is mostly attributable to Apple’s iPhones, fell 49.6% year-over-year in March, according to data from the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) released Monday. The data showed shipments dropped to 1.887 million units from 3.747 million units a year earlier.
The data showed that foreign-branded smartphones now account for just 8% of total shipments, halving from 16% a year ago, as Chinese players—led by a resurgent Huawei—consolidate market share. Huawei reclaimed the No. 1 position with a 19.4% share in the first quarter, followed by Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo. Apple slipped to fifth place, now holding just 14.1% of the market.
The iPhone maker is besotted with challenges on multiple fronts: the rapid rebound of Huawei, boosted by its proprietary Kirin chips and HarmonyOS Next platform; sluggish implementation of generative AI features; and a domestic industrial policy that favours homegrown brands.
With the critical 618 shopping festival approaching in China, known to be the second-largest and, perhaps, the most important shopping festival in the country, Apple has begun cutting prices on its iPhone 16 Pro line in an attempt to revive demand. CEO Tim Cook, during a recent earnings call, even acknowledged the existence of “persistent headwinds” in Greater China, where revenue fell 2% in the March quarter—an improvement from the 11% year-on-year drop over the holiday period, but still a troubling sign.
MacDailyNews Note: Last year, Apple iPhone shipments in China surged 12% in March according to CAICT.
See also: Tim Cook firmly latched Apple onto China’s CCP teat. What’s his plan for weaning it off? – November 2, 2022
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