One in four smartphones sold in China during October was an iPhone
Chinese shoppers look at new iPhone on launch day
Yet more confirmation that Apple is big in China with iPhone sales sailing towards setting fresh sales records, according to Counterpoint.
Apple took 25% of China’s smartphone market
The analysts state that China’s smartphone sales were up 8% in October, driven by Apple’s 37% YoY growth, according to preliminary figures. It is the best ever start to a December quarter for Apple, with total sell-through far surpassing its previous peak in October 2021.
The iPhone 17 range is a definite success in the vast market, Apple accounted for one in every four smartphones sold in China during October, said Counterpoint. All three iPhone 17 variants saw mid-to-high double-digit growth rates in October compared to the iPhone 16 series, with the base model continuing to grow fastest.
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Big success for iPhone 17 series
The iPhone 17 series continues to deliver for Apple, with the base and Pro models growing fastest,” said Senior Analyst Ivan Lam. “Share of new iPhone models is extremely high, at over 80% of unit sales, so we are likely to see growth amplified as rising ASPs (average selling prices) push the top line higher.”
Apple took 25% overall market share in Chinese smartphone sales. Xiaomi took second place with 17%, Vivo 16%, Huawei 13%, Honor 12% and Opp 13%. The remaining 5% is fought over by the rest of the industry. For Apple this is very significant.
One in four smartphones sold in China during October was an iPhone, a milestone hit only once before, in 2022, when Apple had fewer rivals in the premium segment and offered the iPhone 14.
Will it be a record year?
Truth to tell the political optics remain shaky, “There is always some risk, especially with the much-expected Huawei Mate 80 series launching on November 25,” said Lam. “But there’s a lot of momentum behind Apple at this point. There is not much tapering to indicate a steep drop off.”
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