Apple iPhone grabs record China market share as Q4 sales surge

Apple’s iPhone achieved its highest-ever market share in China in the fourth quarter, when it was the top-selling vendor there for the first time in six years, research firm Counterpoint Research reported on Wednesday.

Commenting on Apple’s performance, Research Analyst Mengmeng Zhang said in a statement, “Apple’s stellar performance was driven by a mix of its pricing strategy and gain from Huawei’s premium base. Apple rose to first place in China right after the iPhone 13 was released (week 39) in September. Afterwards, it remained in the leading position for most of the fourth quarter. The new iPhone 13 has led the success due to a relatively lower starting price at its release in China, as well as the new camera and 5G features. Furthermore, Huawei, Apple’s main competitor in the premium market, faced declining sales due to the ongoing US sanctions.”

Reuters:

The milestone coincided with the release of the iPhone 13, and amid otherwise stagnant demand for handsets as chief rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s [HWT.UL] market share declined.

Apple’s smartphone market share reached 23%, a record for the brand. Its unit sales volume grew 32% year-on-year in the quarter, while total smartphone sales in China fell 9%, according to Counterpoint.

Apple last ranked as China’s top-selling smartphone brand in late 2015, just after the company launched its iPhone 6, which attracted Chinese consumers with their large screens.

In 2021 as a whole, Apple ranked as China’s third best-selling smartphone brand with 16% of the market.

MacDailyNews Take: Bodes well for Apple’s earnings report tomorrow.

Here are the numbers for smartphone market share in China:

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