South Korean media: Apple ranked first in China's smartphone market in the fourth quarter of last year!
On February 18, South Korean media "Today Digital" published an article stating that in the fourth quarter of last year, Apple ranked first in terms of shipment volume in China's smartphone market due to strong sales of the iPhone 17 series.
Data released by market research company Counterpoint Research showed that China's smartphone shipments decreased by 1.6% in the fourth quarter of last year. Year-on-year, shipments also declined by 0.6%, with the overall market continuing to slow down.
Except for the first quarter, China's smartphone shipments declined in every quarter throughout the year.
Counterpoint analysis pointed out that price increases caused by memory shortages led to a decline in demand. As manufacturers reduced the proportion of low-price models under pressure from rising memory costs, the trend of market decline became more pronounced.
In the fourth quarter of last year, Apple ranked first in the Chinese market with a 22% market share. This was mainly attributed to increased supply of the iPhone 17 series and strong market demand.
The new camera design of the "Pro" series drove demand in the premium market, while the base model models received positive consumer feedback as they doubled the storage capacity compared to the previous generation without changing the price. The sales share of the delayed iPhone Air was only in single digits.
Counterpoint said, "The iPhone Air initially had limited market response due to its release delay and compromised features caused by its ultra-thin design. However, considering the structural changes in China's eSIM smartphone market, it is a product of significant importance in the long term."
OPPO's shipment volume increased by 15% in the fourth quarter, mainly due to stable demand for the Reno series and sales growth from newly launched Find X9 and OnePlus 15 series. This allowed OPPO to rise to the second position in this quarter's market ranking.
Although shipments declined in the second half of the year, Huawei maintained its position as the top seller in China's smartphone market for the 2025 annual shipments, thanks to its strong performance in the first half of the year. Strong sales of mid-to-high-end models after price adjustments further solidified its market dominance.
Despite the overall market decline, vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor still achieved some notable successes. The iQOO 15 from vivo attracted considerable attention with its highly competitive price and the latest flagship Qualcomm chip set.
The report predicts that memory prices will rise by another 40% to 50% in the first quarter of the new year, and by another 20% in the second quarter. Therefore, smartphone manufacturers are expected to focus on optimizing their product portfolios, including reducing the number of low-cost models, to maintain profitability.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857428130859008/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.