iPhone sales decline 24% in China as Huawei advances

Chinese “big tech companies” grew by 64% in 2024; Other companies in the country also performed better than Apple

iPhone sales in China fell by 24% in the first six weeks of 2024. According to a report from Counterpoint Research Released on Tuesday (March 5, 2024), the decline was due to strong competition from domestic smartphone companies, such as Huawei, OPPO, Alive that it Xiaomi.

The launch of the Mate 60 smartphone with 5G technology boosted Huawei's growth recovery in China, putting pressure on Apple, its main competitor in high-quality smartphones in the country. The lack of 5G networks and advanced chips in Huawei devices has reduced its competitiveness, leading consumers to prefer iPhones.

According to the report, other competing Chinese companies also saw a decline in smartphone sales during the period analyzed, but on a smaller scale compared to Apple.

Oppo saw a 29% decline in smartphone shipments year-on-year, while Vivo and Xiaomi saw declines of 15% and 7%, respectively.

The best performing smartphone brands in the first six weeks were Huawei and its subsidiary Honor. Huawei recorded a 64% increase in smartphone unit shipments compared to the previous year.