iPhone sales in China fell 18.2% year-on-year, dropping Apple's annual market share to fourth place
Research firm
China Smartphone Sales Fall 3.2% YoY in Q4, Only Quarter With YoY Decline in 2024
https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/post-insight-research-notes-blogs-china-smartphone-sales-fall-32-yoy-in-q4-only-quarter-with-yoy-decline-in-2024
Here's a look at smartphone sales and year-on-year growth rates in the Chinese market in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2023. According to Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint, China's smartphone market recovered and grew positively from the first to third quarters of 2024, but growth slowed in the fourth quarter as consumers became more cautious about spending. Overall sales increased 3.2% year-on-year.
| 2024Q4 | 2023Q4 | Year-over-year growth rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei | 18.1% | 15.2% | +15.5% |
| Xioami | 17.2% | 16.0% | +3.9% |
| Apple | 17.1% | 20.2% | -18.2% |
| vivo | 16.3% | 14.6% | +8.0% |
| Honor | 13.6% | 15.1% | -12.8% |
| OPPO | 12.5% | 13.3% | -9.3% |
| Other manufacturers | 5.2% | 5.6% | -9.2% |
| total | +3.2% |
Huawei ranked first in market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing 2.9 percentage points from 15.2% in the same period last year to 18.1%. The Mate 70 series, announced in November 2024, was well received, and sales increased 15.5% year-on-year.
In second place was Xiaomi, which saw strong sales of high-end and flagship models, with a share of 17.2%. Meanwhile, Apple, which had a share of over 20% in the same period last year, fell 3.1 points to 17.1%, remaining in third place. Apple's sales volume in the fourth quarter of 2024 fell 18.2%, suggesting that the company was struggling.
The comparison of annual sales volume in 2024 and 2023 is as follows. Overall, there was a slight increase of 1.5% compared to the previous year, and Huawei in particular has achieved significant growth of 36.4% compared to the previous year, catching up with vivo, which has the largest market share. On the other hand, Apple, which had the largest annual market share in 2023, saw its sales volume fall by 12.6% compared to the previous year, falling to fourth place behind vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi.
| 2024 | 2023 | Year-over-year growth rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| vivo | 17.8% | 16.9% | +7.0% |
| Huawei | 16.3% | 12.1% | +36.4% |
| Xioami | 15.7% | 14.4% | +10.2% |
| Apple | 15.5% | 17.9% | -12.6% |
| Honor | 15.0% | 15.7% | -2.8% |
| OPPO | 14.3% | 16.2% | -10.4% |
| Other manufacturers | 5.4% | 6.6% | -9.2% |
| total | +1.5% |
According to Counterpoint, China's smartphone market is expected to continue to experience low single-digit growth in 2025. Although the government has decided to roll out a smartphone subsidy program, which may lead to increased sales in the first quarter of 2025, the overall economic situation is still tough and does not warrant optimism.
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