Apple sales fall below Huawei and Xiaomi in China – 11/23/2023 – Tech

Apple reported a decline in the number of smartphones sold during China’s “Singles’ Day” shopping period, according to data from Counterpoint Research, falling behind domestic rivals Huawei and Xiaomi, which both posted strong growth.

The number of Apple smartphones sold fell 4% year-on-year during the two weeks of sales, from October 30 to November 12, the market research firm reported on Thursday (23). In comparison, the number of units sold by Huawei and Xiaomi grew by 66% and 28%, respectively, in the same period.

Raises from Huawei and Xiaomi helped drive 5% growth in total smartphone sales in China during the promotional period, according to the company.

The price of the iPhone 15, Apple’s latest, starts at 5,999 yuan ($832), while Huawei’s Mate 60 smartphones start at 5,499 yuan ($763). Xiaomi’s latest smartphone, Mi 14, starts at 3,999 yuan ($555).

Analysts said the Chinese smartphone market is poised to recover, with research firm IDC saying it expects sales to grow in the fourth quarter over a year earlier, after ten consecutive quarters of declines.

In the third quarter, the sector shrank 6.3% in the Asian country, according to IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker survey. Worldwide, there was a drop of 0.1%.

Apple launched the iPhone 15 at the end of September, about a month after Huawei launched the Mate 60 with the advanced chip independently developed by the company itself.

The Mate 60 series has received significant patriotic support in China, with fans saying it shows how Huawei has managed to overcome years of US chip export controls.

Xiaomi launched its flagship Mi 14 at the end of October, with chief executive Lei Jun revealing that sales of the new range surpassed 1 million units after its launch.

In addition to facing competition from domestic rivals, Counterpoint analysts attributed Apple’s sluggish performance to supply chain issues that restricted the availability of the iPhone 15.

“Apple is improving compared to last month, but there still appears to be issues in terms of supply,” said Ivan Lam, senior manufacturing analyst at Counterpoint, adding that he expects the situation to normalize soon.