Smartphone shipments in China declined 11% in the third quarter as the country’s slowing economy weighed on consumer demand, according to research firm Canalys on Thursday.
Total smartphone shipments from brands to retailers dropped to 70 million during the period, from 78.9 million in the same period last year.
Apple Inc was the only company with sales increased, by 36% to 11.3 million; analysts said that this was due to the popularity of the newly released iPhone 14 Pro.
The drop continues an ongoing trend for the sector, which has faced challenges in recent years ranging from worldwide chip shortages to the economic impact of China’s zero-COVID policy.
Vivo was the leading brand during the quarter, delivering 14.1 million smartphones and capturing 20% of the market. The top three brands, vivo, OPPO, and Honor, had their shipments decline by 23.0%, 27.0%, and 16.0%, respectively.
Apple is presently the fourth most popular brand in China, with a 13% market share.