Apple’s iPhone sales surge in China to take 25% market share

[HONG KONG] Apple’s iPhone 17 series drove a 37 per cent rise in its monthly smartphone sales in China, signalling strong momentum in a key market.

iPhones accounted for one in every four smartphones sold in the country in October, the first time it’s hit that threshold since 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. The figures suggest Apple’s year on year upgrades are resonating with consumers and support chief executive officer Tim Cook’s prediction that the company will return to growth in China this quarter.

Each of the successor models, from the 5,999 yuan (about US$1100) iPhone 17 to the 8,999-yuan 17 Pro Max, outperformed its iPhone 16 precursor in sales by a double-digit percentage, according to Counterpoint. Apple’s performance lifted China’s long-sluggish smartphone market, stuck in a rut even government subsidies could not shake, to 8 per cent growth.

The share of new model iPhones is at over 80 per cent of Apple’s unit sales, Counterpoint analyst Ivan Lam said. “We are likely to see growth amplified as rising ASPs push the top-line higher.”

Beyond Apple, Oppo’s smartphone sales grew 19 per cent in October from a year earlier, driven by demand for its Find X9 device with a larger battery. Huawei Technologies slipped by 19 per cent, partly because it didn’t release a new model that month. Huawei remains Apple’s most formidable rival in China, with a new flagship device launch planned for next week, though demand for the iPhone 17 appears steady.

“There’s always some risk, especially with the much-anticipated Huawei Mate 80 series launching on Nov 25,” Lam said. “But there’s a lot of momentum behind Apple and at this point not much tapering to indicate a steep dropoff.” BLOOMBERG