Apple suffered a notable decline in its China smartphone sales during the first quarter, with shipments tumbling 9% year-on-year to 9.8 million units, according to IDC’s latest market data.
The U.S. tech giant, now holding a 13.7% market share—down substantially from 17.4% in the preceding quarter—was the only major brand to report falling volumes in the world’s largest smartphone market.
This mark the seventh consecutive quarter of Apple’s decline in China
Meanwhile, Chinese powerhouse Xiaomi took the lead with a sharp 40% surge in shipments, moving 13.3 million phones in the first three months of 2024. Across the industry, total shipments rose by 3.3%, highlighting a robust recovery driven in part by targeted consumer subsidies.
IDC analyst Will Wong said Apple’s position was undermined by its higher price points, which excluded its products from China’s latest round of government stimulus.
Starting January, Beijing rolled out subsidies offering consumers a 15% refund on smartphones and certain consumer electronics priced below CNY 6,000 (about $820).
