Apple’s Market Share Declines in China Amidst Intense Smartphone Competition

In the first quarter of 2024, Apple experienced a decline in its market share in China, with its shipments dropping by 6.6%. Revenue from iPhone products constituted 52.1% of its sales.

The company’s performance in China was affected by reduced sales of peripheral devices, down by 10.5%, and a market share of 18.9%.

Despite the challenges in China, Apple maintained a strong presence in other regions, accounting for 24.7% of sales in Europe, India, and the Middle East/Africa.

Apple lost its position as the leading smartphone seller in China during the first quarter of 2024, with a 6.6% decline in smartphone shipments compared to the previous year.

Honor and Huawei emerged as the top contenders, both with significant market shares of 17.1% and 17% respectively, while Apple’s market share decreased to 15.6%.

The IDC considers a statistical tie when the difference in market share between vendors is 0.1% or less.

Apple’s price promotions in the quarter were ineffective in offsetting the competitive pressure from Android players, according to Arthur Guo, senior research analyst at IDC China.

Despite Apple’s challenges, overall smartphone shipments in China increased by 6.5% to 69.3 million units, as reported by IDC.

Recent data from Counterpoint revealed that Apple’s smartphone shipments in China experienced a significant decline of 19% in the first quarter of 2024, marking its poorest performance since 2020.