People walk past an advertisement for the iPhone 16 Pro at an Apple Store during the National Day holiday in Chongqing, China, on October 3, 2024.
Chen Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images
apple The company joined the ranks of China’s top five smartphone vendors in the third quarter, boosted by the launch of the iPhone 16, but its growth still outpaced that of domestic rival Huawei, according to data released on Friday. was.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple ranked second in market share in the third quarter. The tech giant accounted for 15.6% of the Chinese market during the same period, down from 16.1% in the third quarter of last year. The company’s shipment growth to China in the third quarter was flat compared to the same period last year. Apple was second in market share in the third quarter.
According to IDC data, Huawei ranked third behind Apple with a market share of 15.3%. However, the company’s smartphone shipments in China increased 42% year over year, continuing its resurgence in the world’s largest smartphone market.
Apple and Huawei have been embroiled in a fierce battle since the Chinese tech giant launched a new smartphone, the Mate 60, with a surprisingly advanced chip last year. Huawei has been hit in recent years by U.S. sanctions that restrict its access to advanced semiconductors and software. This measure hurt the company’s smartphone business.
The Mate 60 marked the resurgence of Huawei in the domestic market, and the company subsequently launched a number of new devices, including the Mate XT, a so-called tri-fold phone.
Huawei’s resurgence is putting intense pressure on Apple in China, one of its largest and most important markets. In the second quarter, Apple was dropped from the top five rankings for Chinese market share.
“Huawei has made a remarkable comeback, recording at least double-digit growth for four consecutive quarters. The launch of the world’s first tri-fold mobile phone is expected to further accelerate the development of the folding market.” IDC stated in the report.
The Cupertino giant is hoping the iPhone 16 series will help it make a comeback in China, with the company promising a number of new AI software features called Apple Intelligence. The company says Apple Intelligence will be available in the U.S. this fall, but there is no firm timeline for when it will be available in China, largely because regulations there are more complex. do not have.
In the absence of Apple Intelligence, Chinese rivals such as Oppo, Huawei, and Honor have touted their own AI capabilities.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China this week and met with senior government officials and executives from the country’s tech companies. One analyst told CNBC that this could be an attempt to strengthen its partnership with the Chinese company to launch Apple Intelligence.
Domestic rival Vivo topped the Chinese market in the third quarter with an 18.6% market share and 21.5% year-on-year shipment growth, according to IDC. Xiaomi and Honor took 4th and 5th place respectively.
Separate numbers released by Canalys on Friday showed Apple’s shipments in China fell 6% in the third quarter from a year earlier. According to Canalys, Apple ranks fifth in market share in China. Meanwhile, the data firm placed Huawei in second place in market share with 24% year-on-year growth in the third quarter of this year.
