The market share of foreign smartphone brands in China has dropped sharply, as indicated by recent government data.

This decline highlights increasing challenges for Apple amid rising competition from domestic companies like Huawei Technologies.

Shipments from overseas handset makers fell by 47.3% in November 2024, with 3.04 million units sold compared to 5.77 million units in November 2023, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

From January to November 2024, total shipments of foreign smartphones in China decreased by 22% year-on-year, totaling 42 million units.

While the CAICT report does not specify particular brands, Apple represents the majority of foreign smartphone sales in the country.

Huawei, based in Shenzhen, has experienced a 34% year-on-year increase in shipments of premium smartphones priced over US$600 in the third quarter of 2024, according to Canalys.

Recent Apple developments