Apple surpasses Huawei, selling the most phones in China

According to market research company Counterpoint, during the year’s largest promotional event, lasting a month on November 11, Singles’ Day in China, total smartphone sales increased by 3% over the same period last year. This is thanks to the strong increase in demand for the iPhone, because without Apple phones, the total sales of the remaining brands decreased by 5%.

The report also shows that iPhone accounted for 26% of smartphones sold in China during the month and led the market. In contrast, Huawei saw the biggest decline among major brands, as its market share fell from 17% last year to 13% and fell to third place. The newly launched high-end model Mate 80 is also said to have sales that are not as expected.

Xiaomi also had a sale that was not as expected when sales went down compared to the same period last year. However, the company still achieved 17% market share and ranked second. One of the main reasons is that the flagship smartphone model Xiaomi 17 was launched earlier than 2024, making it difficult to create an impact on the November 11 holiday.

Except for Apple, Chinese companies’ falling smartphone sales “reflect a cautious consumer environment and loss of momentum,” Counterpoint said. Originating from the prolonged real estate crisis and concerns about income, users are tightening their spending. According to data provider Syntun, despite a much longer promotion period than before, total e-commerce revenue in the festive month only reached 1.7 trillion yuan ($240 billion), not much higher than last year’s 1.44 trillion yuan.

During the financial report meeting at the end of October, CEO Tim Cook shared a rare perspective on Apple’s expected business results. Accordingly, the company will reach a new revenue record in the fourth quarter thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 17 series. Growth is expected to be about 10-12% over the same period last year while revenue from iPhone is expected to grow in double digits.