China’s non-Chinese smartphone shipments decline to 1.85 million units

Apple’s position in China’s smartphone market keeps eroding while domestic competitors surge ahead. Fresh shipment data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) for March 2025 shows total smartphone deliveries rising 6.5 percent year-on-year to 22.73 million units. Chinese brands captured 92 percent of that volume, leaving non-Chinese vendors—mainly Apple—just 1.85 million units, roughly half of what they shipped a year earlier.

The quarterly picture is similar. From January to March, overall shipments climbed 3.3 percent to 69.67 million units, yet Chinese manufacturers grew 9 percent while their foreign rivals slid more than 25 percent. Foreign brands accounted for about 8 percent of shipments—1.85 million units—with Apple making up the vast majority of that segment, even as Counterpoint Research ranks Huawei, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Oppo ahead of the iPhone maker.

Policies have also added to the pressure. Beijing’s nationwide 15 percent “buy-new” subsidy applies only to devices priced below 6,000 yuan (roughly $832). Apple’s standard iPhone 16 opens at 5,999 yuan (about $832), technically inside the threshold, but its Pro models sit above it. To remain competitive ahead of the 618 shopping festival, Apple is reportedly weighing deeper discounts on its Pro versions.

Apple’s financial results reveal the growing strain. Greater China contributed 16.8 percent of Apple’s global revenue in its fiscal second quarter, but that regional intake has declined year-on-year for seven straight quarters. The last period of meaningful growth dates back to early 2022, when sales still posted double-digit gains.

Apple’s manufacturing ecosystem and retail footprint in China remain vast, yet the market’s momentum now favors home-grown brands.