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.”
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:
Source: Counterpoint Research Market Pulse, January 2022
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From an economic perspective, making inroads to China’s market makes perfect sense. However, today’s businesses are claim to be be socially aware and morally concerned about the environment, human rights, working conditions, and social issues. If they were, it makes no sense to do business with China. Apple has sold out its soul for market share. One day people will look back at this period and wonder why companies were so supportive and enabling to an evil political state like China 🇨🇳.
USA could fall into the same category of evil political state .
Yep…well said.
The US is in the process of overreacting to things mentioned (enviro, work rights, social issues) and ESG dictates will be the proof. On the surface ESG looks pretty, but in reality, it will be the means where the US becomes more like China. When in effect, ESG will be state-ism like we’ve never experienced.
To say Apple is responsible would be a stretch, but Apple has been a leader in smoothing over the atrocities of the Chinese state, while using economics/business as a protective sandbox of separation. There was a time that a business, or country would freeze/pull assets, form a coalition to dissuade, or otherwise disincentivize destructive behavior. Cook/Apple has done absolutely nothing of the sort. The assumption “China will liberalize with market involvement” has long shown to be a figment of the imagination…first abandoned by our “leaders,” and now little to no concern for the common person.
We just want our goods and what’s happening “over there” maybe interesting, but in reality, matters not/little.
(AAPL was the 1st, 1-trill, then the 1st, 2-trill and recently was crowned the 1st, 3-trillion company. Besides, the iPh sales #’s are beating all others and brand recognition is upper tier. He must be a good CEO.)