iPhone reigns in China's smartphone market

Apple Inc.'s iPhone emerged as the top-selling smartphone series in China for the first time in 2023, showcasing robust performance amid intense local competition and expanding government restrictions.

- 

According to market tracker IDC, the iPhone secured the first position in shipments for both the fourth quarter and the overall year. Despite earlier predictions of a decline in iPhone sales during the fourth quarter, timely discounts and promotions helped Apple maintain its market share.

The IDC data revealed that Apple's success in the fourth quarter was primarily attributed to a more moderate decline compared to its competitors.

In contrast to the 2.2% drop in iPhone shipments in 2023, local rivals like Honor Device Co. and Vivo experienced double-digit slumps, contributing to an overall 5% decline in smartphone shipments in China for the year.

The challenging market conditions in China were marked by the lowest volume of smartphone shipments in a decade, driven by a soft economic recovery and weakened consumer sentiment, as reported by IDC.

Notably, Huawei made a significant comeback with its Mate 60 series, achieving a 36% increase in shipments and rejoining the top five smartphone makers in China during the holiday quarter.

IDC research analyst Arthur Gao described Apple's ascent to the top spot in 2023 as a remarkable success, especially considering renewed competition from Huawei and subdued consumer spending. Gao attributed Apple's achievement to well-timed price promotions in third-party channels, effectively stimulating demand.