Apple scores top spot in China for the first time ever thanks to timely iPhone discounts

Apple is getting sales milestones ticked one by one. Just recently, data from Counterpoint revealed that the Cupertino giant has surpassed Samsung in terms of global smartphone sales throughout 2023. However, in the Chinese market, Apple had a rough run after the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup.

The re-emergence of Huawei with smartphones featuring homegrown chipsets made Apple face complications in sales. As revealed by Counterpoint, iPhone 15 sales went down by 4.5% compared to iPhone 14 sales in the first 17 days of launch. On the other hand, the Mate 60 lineup outsold Apple’s new iPhones, with Huawei shipping 1.6 million units six weeks after the debut.

Honor, another big competitor to Apple iPhones in the premium smartphone segment, also made big progress with a “well-rounded product strategy.” But amid all this competition, data from IDC now shows that Apple has secured the top spot in China in 2023, all thanks to the timely promotions on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 lineup (unlocked iPhone 14 128 GB renewed curr. $528.09 on Amazon).

This is also the first time Apple has topped sales in China. When it comes to specifics, a rise in iPhone sales in the region made the company achieve a market share of 17.3% in 2023, securing the first spot on the 2023 Chinese market share list. Honor held its second position with a market share of 17.1%. As for Huawei, it earned the fourth position in the 4Q23 market share list. You can learn more by reading the IDC report found on this link or the market share breakdown images attached below.