Apple was China's #1 smartphone maker last year
Apple captured a market share of 17.3% in China’s smartphone market last year, beating local manufactruer Honor to the top spot.
According to new data from market analyst Stocklytics and IDC, Apple's market share was its best ever in China, and "underscores the company’s strategic prowess and adaptability in navigating challenging landscapes."
Stocklytics believes Apple’s success stems from strategic price promotions across third-party channels. During Q4 2023 and January 2024, it extended discounts across the iPhone 15 range on its website, and cut retail prices by as much as 500 yuan (USD 70) amid growing competition pressure. Competing with Apple were Honor, which ended the year with a 16.8% market share, followed by Vivo (15.7%), Huawei (13.9%), and Oppo (13.7%).
According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, China's overall smartphone shipments totaled 271.3 million units in 2023, which was a decline of 5.0% compared to 2022. This was the lowest volume in a decade, thanks to soft economic conditions and weak consumer sentiment.
But IDC says the market is now moving towards recovery, with 4Q23 delivering year-over-year growth of 1.2% on shipments of 73.6 million units. This performance marked the end of ten consecutive quarters of year-over-year decline.
